The Light
by Myan Mirage
Summary: Arriving at Gringotts on his fifteenth birthday, Harry's life changes for the better, despite his initial reactions. Enemies become friends and friends become enemies. Can he stay sane long enough to change the world for the better? Book 1 Slash
1. Chapter 1

Yes, this is a new story from lovely me. It's actually a rewrite of the Light of the Darkness that I've kicked. I'll delete is sooner or later, but I want to keep that up so that you guys can compare the drastic changes of the original with my new rewrite.

This story is drastically different from the original while keeping the same intended plot line. The story is still ongoing. In fact, I've written out almost thirty chapters. It will be the longest story I've ever written and I am so proud of myself. Even more, the Light is the first in a series of four stories titled **The Light - Submerged - Within - the Shadows.** I didn't want to make the story so long that it was ridiculous, so I split it into for sections with the beginning book titled The Light.

**The Light - Submerged - Within - The Shadows ** belongs to myself. Characters do not belong to me until after the initial change. The plot belongs solely to me. This story is rated T for Teens due to suggested themes, language, and violence. Read at your own risk.

Couples shall be revealed throughout the story. I don't want to ruin it for you lovely people. Possible pairings shall be listed as they arrive. Please enjoy the story.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when I entered Gringotts, the main – and probably only – wizarding bank of London. I was standing just inside the entrance, a little ways away from the huge doors, wondering whether to leave or not. Thirty minutes earlier, Hedwig had come back from her nightly hunt with a discreet note from Neville Longbottom mixed in birthday gifts from Hermione and the Weasleys telling me to come to Gringotts. I didn't know whether or not it was a trap set by Voldemort's Death Eaters. I did the idiotic thing and came anyway, but there was no point crying over spilled milk. It was finished, and it's not as if it could be redone. So now, I've been standing near the doors for several minutes – ten is my guess – and I have yet to meet anyone. Truth be told, I was prepared to leave at this point, which was what I was about to do.

As I turned around and began to head out the door, someone came up behind me and whispered my name into my ear. Battle reflexes from last year's Triwizard Tournament were what caused me to swiftly spin around and pull out my wand. I was relieved for a moment when I saw that it was Neville. Wow, he's gotten tall over the summer. I almost put my wand away, but then the thought of polyjuice flashed across my mind, causing me to grip my wand tighter and eye him suspiciously. In response, Neville held his hands up, taking several steps back in the process.

"Relax, Harry," he whispered. "It's me, Neville." He scowled when I didn't lighten up. "What can I say to make you believe me?" Neville became quiet, dropping his gaze to the ground as he contemplated his next words. That alone caused me to realize that this was Neville. Only an inexperienced idiot would drop their gaze when someone was holding a wand to their heart.

After a moment, something flashed in his eyes, and he caught my gaze, pulling his shoulders back as he prepared himself. "Sirius Black is your godfather, who was falsely accused of murder by his friend, Peter Pettigrew, who was said to have been killed by Black, only for him to really be Ron's pet rat."

I blinked twice in shock after hearing him say that. Had I really told him that? Well, after the Tournament, I had wanted – no – _needed _someone to confide in, and the only trustworthy person I could find was Neville. So maybe I had told him all of that. I couldn't be sure, though, but for now, I believed him.

"I told you all of that?" I asked him. Neville chuckled.

"Well, last year, Hermione and Ron had dropped you after all, so I guess I was the only person left." That made sense. Neville gently grabbed my arm. "But enough of that. You're the last to arrive. We have to get started."

"Get started with what? Who else is here?" I questioned as he proceeded to drag me, without answering my questions, through the lobby towards the grand hallways. Neville led me through a maze of corridors before leading me to a pair of large golden doors, both inscribed with goblin runes upon them. Both doors were slightly ajar, and Neville squeezed us through the opening. Once inside, I was amazed at how large the room just happened to be. Did goblins really need this much space?

"We're here," Neville announced after nearly throwing me into the room before he went to shut the door. As I stumbled into the large room, I saw that the old goblin seated behind the desk wasn't alone. That didn't surprise me. It was who was in the room with him that surprised me. Standing in the back of the huge room, glaring out the large window into the night sky, was Draco Malfoy. Upon sight, years of hatred rose up inside of me like bile. Why in the hell was _he _here? My entire night just went straight to hell because I was preparing myself to start arguing with the blond Death Eater to be. I only stopped because I noticed that Ron was sitting most of the room away from him, leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, and I could just hear the soft snoring coming from him. He was completely out of it. Forgetting my hatred for the person near the window, I glanced around the room and was surprised when I saw Fred and George seated in front of the goblin's desk. The facial expressions clearly showed how annoyed and restless they were, but I was surprised when they didn't voice a word of complaint. Actually, now that I really noticed, the room was somewhat unnaturally quiet for the occupants inside of it.

The goblin looked up from his papers when Neville announced our arrival. A smile stretched across his wrinkled, ugly face, only making it more so, if you could even call what he was doing smiling. "Mr. Potter, it's nice of you to finally join us. Please come and take a seat so that we may finally begin."

"What's going on?" I asked him. "Why am I here? How long have you been waiting for me?" The goblin continued to smile at me, which continued to creep me out. His smile was so…unsettling.

"In all due time, Mr. Potter," was my response as the goblin began to pull stacks of paper from his drawer. "Now, if you would all please take a seat, we shall begin."

A soft growl caused me to turn to the back of the room, where Draco was scowling out or at the window. He finally turned away and sat down in the chair nearest the doors. "You just can't wait to leave, now can you, Malfoy?" I sneered as I was forced to sit beside him. Ron, after receiving a wake up kick from Neville, had dropped angrily to his right, in between him and Fred as the twins had occupied the two middle seats.

"The very last thing on my mind is being near a bunch of filthy blood traitors and a half-blood like you," he snapped, agitated from being so close to me. I scowled at him, but didn't respond. Against my nature, I decided against fighting him. There was no point.

The goblin gazed at us for a moment before coughing. "My name is Validore, and I am the manager for all of your accounts," he said before coughing again. It seemed as though he needed a throat lozenge or – at the very least – a glass of water. I would have conjured him a glass, but I would have been expelled for using magic. The goblin continued, snapping me out my thoughts. "You are all here for the same reason, and I am the one who was told to tell what that reason was. Before I begin, I would like to ask you all a serious question. Do any of you receive bank statements?" I stared at him, surprised. Others were surprised by his question as well, though Draco seemed annoyed by it.

"Of course we receive bank statements," Draco sneered. "What kind of question is that?"

"It depends on your definition of 'we'," Validore continued. "If you mean your parents, then you've misunderstood my question. Do any of you – and you alone – receive bank statements from accounts that are not in your family names?" This time, no response was given. Validore sat back and sighed, suddenly looking very old.

"Validore, I've never received a bank statement pertaining my account," I told the old goblin, earning a slightly confused look. "Nor have I ever really thought about it until you brought it up."

"What type of idiot doesn't think to check their account?" Draco questioned. I glared at the annoying blond.

"One that doesn't throw out money like it grows on trees, and one that doesn't have his head stuck so far up his ass that –" I broke off as Draco growled at me, looking ready to stand up, only for Validore to interrupt us.

"Please, no fighting in my office," he said in a sort of detached way, as if he wasn't paying attention to the situation. "So he's been receiving your statements." This part he mumbled as he stared at a piece of parchment.

"Who?" I questioned, shifting in my chair, finding the entire discussion confusing. I didn't understand a thing, and Validore wasn't helping much, if at all.

"That one who has been lying to you all of these years," he responded. "Albus Dumbledore. He has been lying and manipulating you since you were born. I'm not surprised that you've never noticed. He is rather skilled in the art of deception." The quiet room was through into an uproar when we Gryffindors began to yell and shout in disagreement. I myself was appalled that this goblin would even think such a thin, and the idea was ridiculous to being with.

"Dumbledore would never manipulate Harry!" Ron shouted over the rest of us. "You must be confused!" Validore let out another sigh.

"Everyone please calm down," he requested. Though we were the farthest thing from calm, we did quiet down enough for him to continue. "Now, Mr. Weasley, it is not that I am confused; it is you five. Ah, please sit and listen. You are confused about whose side you're supposed to be on, because you were only given two choices without further explanation: light or dark. Dumbledore has taken you and twisted you to the side he wants you to be on, or he has manipulated certain people to think in such a way that they do the choosing for you. He is a manipulative beast that must be taken down along with Voldemort."

Again, the room was thrown into an uproar as the Weasleys and I shouted in defense for Dumbledore. How could anyone say such a thing about the man who has been trying to bring the world back from the darkness of which it fell? Dumbledore would never manipulate anyone! Why would he?

"Why would you say something like that?" I shouted over the voices of the Weasleys. "Dumbledore is a kind man!" Draco snorted, but I managed to succeed in ignoring him. "He saved me from spending all of my years at the Dursleys'!"

"Who do you think put you there?" Validore questioned calmly. I stared at him before slowly sitting down in my seat. He knew that I already knew the answer. Dumbledore had placed me with that family when my parents died. Validore continued. "Did he ever give an explanation? A reason for his decision to place you with them?" I frowned and dropped my gaze to the floor. He knew my answer already.

"But he wouldn't have placed me there if it weren't for a good reason, right?" I questioned. "He didn't have a choice! They're my only relatives! There was no one else available to be my guardian!"

Validore shook his head. "You are right about them being your only relatives, but he did not do it to protect you. Your parents assigned godparents to you for a reason, and even stated in their will who they wanted to raise you."

"Sirius is unable to raise me, and the Ministry won't allow Remus the right to do so, either."

"Yes, Harry, but there were multiple other people that your parents wanted you to stay with when their passed. They never wanted you to go to the Dursley residence. That was written specifically in their will, yet Dumbledore went against their wishes and placed you there, anyway. He knew that they hated magic and anything to do with it. He knew that they hated your parents beyond reasoning. He knew that if he rescued you from that place, you would be devoted to him, thinking of him as your savior." I sat back and bit my lip. I couldn't help it. It was true. Everything the goblin had said was true. When I had first met the man, the first thing that came to my mind about Dumbledore was the fact that he had rescued me, taken me from that hell I had once been forced to call home and brought me to this place where I could truly be myself, the freak my relatives hated. I didn't have to be afraid of being forced into the cupboard with no food, or have to suffer through terrible beatings and verbal assaults. I really truly had through that he was my savior, and that I owed him a great deal for saving me. I thought I owed the man my life, and I was so willing to give it to him before now. Now, I was questioning him, doubting my beliefs in him and myself, but for some reason, it felt right. Like I had gotten a glimpse of white light while being trapped inside of a dark, never-ending cave. It felt good.

"Harry, I know all about you, and what Dumbledore has done to you," Validore stated.

"How," I questioned, wanting to know more. I wanted to know what had been hidden from me for all of these years. "How do you know everything about me? Why do you know these things?"

"I know everything about each of you," he replied, eyeing the others. "I was handpicked by your parents to be your account manager. They told me to keep a constant eye on all of you, to make sure nothing would happen that could ruin you. I was unable to do my job perfectly due to certain issues, but I did my best, and now, I'm going to correct the mistakes that were done to you."

"Mistakes?" Draco snapped. "What mistakes? No mistakes have been done to me. I don't know about the rest of them, though." I shot a glare at the blonde, annoyed by his pompous attitude. He needed to be taken down several pegs, soon.

"Well, for one thing, Draconis," Validore said, using the boy's full name, "you father has lied to you, belittled you, abused you, and basically stuffed his Death Eater's philosophy down your throat. There are a multitude of mistakes that need to be corrected in you alone." Several soft chuckled followed this statement as Draco and Validore stared each other down.

"How are you going to fix these mistakes?" I questioned. "From what you've told me, I'm pretty much Dumbledore's puppet." I scowled at my own bluntness, even though the statement was completely true. That only caused me frown harder. "How can you fix that?"

"Your apparent anger towards him is helping you as we speak, but that won't be enough to dispel the compulsions and charms he has embedded into your mind throughout the years. Also, telling you the entire truth wouldn't hurt either. Be wary, though. This truth would get you killed if anyone outside of this room heard. A reason for silencing charms."

"He charmed me?" I blurted out, my mind stuck on that.

At the exact same moment, Draco questioned, "What information could get us killed?" Validore glanced between us.

"For Harry's questioned, Dumbledore has been charming you for years. It was his way of 'sealing the deal.' He doesn't have time for errors in his master plan, whatever that might be. I know he has one, though. I'm just not aware of what it entails, other than you being under his thumb." He stopped to clear his throat. "As for you, Draco, everything I am about to tell you could get you killed." He stopped, this time trying to collect his thoughts. "You see, none of you are from the families in which you currently live in." Silence filled the room as he gave us time to let this statement sink in. I stared at him, utterly confused. Not from our families?

"What do you mean?" Fred questioned, managing to break the thick silence. "We were placed in our families or something? Switched at birth? Something like that?" Validore shook his head.

"No, it's something much more complicated than being switched at birth, Frederick," he responded. "No. You were all placed into your current families for protections, or rather, until you were able to protect yourselves."

"You mean to tell me that this entire time, for all of our lives, we've been living fake lives?" Draco snapped. "That our entire existence is fake? Our parents aren't our parents? Our siblings aren't our siblings? We're not at all related to our families?" Validore nodded in silence. "I do _not_ believe this! I absolutely _refuse _to believe such an idea! I mean for god's sake, I _look _like my father! If I were placed into the Malfoy family, then why in the bloody hell don't I look like the family I was born from?"

I blinked, slightly surprised by how fired up he was over this. I was confused. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to shout and snap at the goblin for telling me these things, but I became confused. My entire existence was under question, and it was confusing me. No, that wasn't it. It was scaring me. I'm usually the one who is shouting, the one who is courageous to a fault, yet I was terrified. Hell, I was shaking. My entire life was under fire. I was questioning myself just as I did when I was child. I thought I knew what was going on in my life. I thought I knew everything about myself. Now, as it turned out, I didn't have a clue about who I truly was. Not only that, but Dumbledore was the reason for this as well. That thought on its own seemed to fire me up, but the fire was quickly extinguished. What was the point of get riled up now?

"You don't look like your true parents, Draconis, because this is a world where magic ultimately rules," Validore responded to Draco's ranting. "As a young baby, placing a powerful glamour upon you is relatively easy as your magic in your core isn't powerful enough to break it. Depending on how powerful the glamour is, it can last for several years without being detected."

"So as we got older, the glamour grew with us?" Neville questioned softly. "Guessing pretty much how we'd look as we aged?" Validore nodded.

"Okay, so basically, a glamour was placed on us as babies, and that is why we look like we belong to our families? I don't believe this. I don't believe any of this. It's way too unbelievable." That was Fred's response.

"Agreed," was George's reply. "How did we even get into our families? Did we just appear? How did our parents not notice that three of their children weren't born into their family?"

"Well, for your first question, yes, you did just appear. The sorceress who placed you into your current families made up new memories for your parents so that they would believe that you were theirs. It would take a highly powerful spell, but it was done."

"So we're just fakes," I finally questioned. "Our entire lives have just been some big joke to someone? We never truly existed?"

"Harrison James Potter never truly existed," Validore replied, earning a shudder from me. Did he have to say my full name? Draco snorted.

"Harrison?" he teased.

"Shut up." It turned back to Validore. "So James and Lily Potter died think that they had a son?" The room became quiet. It was a question I had been thinking of and just wanted to know the answer.

Validore was quiet for a moment. He seemed hesitant. Finally, he responded with a sigh, "Basically, yes, Harry. They died thinking that they had a son. That you were their son." I clenched my teeth. My parents must be crying right now wherever they were.

I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding. "I don't want to do this anymore," I stated. "I didn't want to know that I wasn't from my family. I didn't want to know that my life was a fake. I didn't want to know that my parents were tricked into think that they had a son when they actually didn't, and that they died thinking that. I didn't want to know. Yes, I will admit, my life was hell. My family hates me, and would rather have me dead and out of their lives than have me spend another summer with them. I understand that, but that's all I know, and it's part of the normality in my life, no matter how fake it is. I'd rather continue living my fake life than continue with this. I can't handle it." I held my head in my hands. "I can't handle this." I shook my head as silence filled the room.

"I used to think that I was so sure of myself," I continued. "I used to believe that I knew everything about myself. Now… Now, I know nothing. I don't even know myself let alone anything else, and I hate that. I hate not knowing myself let alone the people around me. I hate it. Please, can you just… can you just Obliviate me and let me go home? I'd rather forget this than have it running through my mind day in and day out."

"Mr. Potter, if you return home now, you will never see the people in this room again," Validore stated. I lifted my head up to stare at him.

"What? What do you mean? Why wouldn't I see them again?" I questioned, confused even more.

"When the glamours are removed, you will all be returning to your original homes," Validore responded. "It's necessary that you return home. This world is corrupt. If someone were to find out about your true abilities, they would use you. This world isn't safe."

"Would someone come after me if I didn't agree with this?" I questioned.

"Sooner or later, the person who you were hiding from will figure out who you are now and what you look like, especially you, Harry, so yes, someone would come after you. Returning to your original home is your best chance of survival."

"Even if in order to survive we have to leave everything and everyone we knew?"

"It is for your own safety." He picked up several papers and handed them to us. "These are letters from your parents to you. Some of your parents are still alive while others might be dead. These letters will tell you. "He paused. "Each of you is from a prestigious family that originates not from Europe, but from Japan, or rather, you each originate from a realm that uses the Japanese language." He grabbed a stack of important files and stood up. "We have to go now. We have too much to do tonight, and many of you wish to go to bed. Please follow me to the next room."

As everyone was getting up and heading for the door, I remained in my seat, trying to comprehend what was going on. They all paused when they noticed that I wasn't moving. "Mr. Potter, it would be in your best interest to follow me," Validore remarked. When I didn't respond nor move, he sighed. "Mr. Potter, would you rather I Obliviate you so that you can return to your life, ignorant of who you really are, and vulnerable to your enemies, or would you rather come with us, gain knowledge of your life, and be strong enough to protect yourself? The choice is yours."

I frowned, knowing what I was supposed to do. The choice was an obvious one. I would never allow myself to be vulnerable. My frown twisted into a scowl. Without a word, I rose from my seat and headed for the door. The old goblin smiled at me.

"Good choice, Mr. Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

I've decided, hey what the hell? I'll just post up a new chapter each makes...twenty or so weeks, depending on how much I write between each week. If I keep it up like this, with summer breaking coming, I might just finish this story. No. I _plan _on finishing the **The Light** so that I can start on **Submerged** where the real action takes place. Enjoy the new chapter.

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The Weasleys and I had to jog to keep up with Validore's extreme pace. I was surprised when I saw that Neville and Draco were both power-walking with relative ease beside the old goblin. I supposed they were used to it, both having to follow a family member around all the time.

The old goblin led us through a large door and into a dark, seemingly empty room. We were drenched in darkness for a moment before the room was lit in light. That was when we realized that the room wasn't completely empty. Near the back of the large room was a full length mirror. Validore led us to the mirror, turning it around on its stand.

"I would refrain from looking into the mirror now," he said. "There are some things I need to tell you first.

"This mirror was a gift from the sorceress that placed the glamours on you all. The mirror is magicked to remove even the most powerful of illusions from items or people. Also, the mirror will show the viewer the true appearance of either his or herself or the object under the illusion. It is a very useful item and will come in handy today."

"So when we look into the mirror, we'll see what we really look like?" I questioned. Validore nodded.

"When you are ready for your glamour to be removed, simply say, 'I am ready' and the removal process will begin. I must warn you, though. The removal of the glamour shall be a painful experience. Because it has been on your body for so long, it will feel as though your flesh is being ripped from your very body. Also, your height and body structure shall be altered as well, so bones may be broken and muscles may be torn."

"In other words, we'll be in so much pain that we'll want to die," Fred mumbled morbidly. "I think that Harry should go first."

"I second that," George added. I turned to stare at them, flustered.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you've been in more life and death situations than the rest of us, of course. You deserve to go first."

"I completely disagree!"

"None of you will be having your glamours removed yet," Validore interrupted. "The process is long and painful, and in your exhausted states, your minds will likely snap under the pain. You will only be viewing your true appearance before being escorted to your families' private chambers here in the bank. Your glamours shall be removed tomorrow."

"Our families have private chambers here?" Draco questioned. Validore nodded.

"Yes, your birth parents wanted you to be comfortable when your glamours were removed, so they instructed me to build private apartments here for you so that you will be able to adjust to your new bodies in private. Not even Dumbledore knows that they exist."

"Only you know of them?" I questioned.

"And the goblins who worked to build them, but those are the only people with knowledge of them. Do not worry, Mr. Potter. You'll be completely safe here." Validore turned the mirror around so that the reflective side faced us. "Now, who would like to see beneath their glamour first?"

We all glanced at one another, willing each other to step forward. Ron stepped forward. "I'll do it. I'll go first." Validore smiled at the boy, and we all watched as he walked forward and stared into the mirror. We were at once surprised at what we saw reflected in the mirror.

Ron's lanky, awkward body was nowhere to be seen in the mirror. Instead, what reflected was a boy with blood red hair and staggering green eyes. He was tall, at least six feet. He had broad shoulders, a built figure, and gave off an air of danger. His green hair was shoulder-length and spiky, and I couldn't help but think that the reflection was nothing like the Ron who was standing in front of the mirror.

"Oh. My. God," Ron whispered. "Is that me?" Validore nodded.

"Your glamour hid you well," he responded. "I would have never guessed that that was your real appearance."

"He looks…dangerous," Fred remarked. He smirked, which was reciprocated by his twin.

"He looks…bad," George added. "Why couldn't we have gotten that Ron instead of this wuss?"

"Shut up!" Ron snapped at them. My eyes widened when I saw that even though Ron turned around to glare at his siblings, mirror image Ron remained facing us, glaring at the twins as well. I wasn't the only one who caught that.

"How is he doing that?" Draco shouted as he pointed to the mirror. Ron turned back and was greeted with the sight of his true image smirking at him. Ron lost all color in his face. Mirror Image Ron shook his head, seemingly laughing to himself, but then again, Ron's impression of a fish was rather hilarious.

We all watched as the reflection smiled before mouthing the words, "We'll meet again." He disappeared from the mirror, leaving us with the horrified reflection of our present Ron.

"The mirror shows more than just your true appearance, but also your true personality," Validore explained as we stared in silence at the mirror. "It seems that Ronald's true personality didn't exactly like the rule that mirror images are supposed to reflect every action the person is doing. I have a feeling that Ron will be troublesome once the glamour is removed. Who would like to go next?"

We stared at him and at each other. I don't think anyone wanted to go next after that experience. I decided to take a chance and volunteered myself. I kept my eyes on the ground as I walked to mirror, closing them when I was directly in front of it. I was startled when I heard gasps. I was confused when Validore said, "My, that's intriguing." Curious, I opened my eyes, and my jaw dropped.

In the mirror stood two reflections, though there was only one person standing before it. Both of my reflections were tall, at least six feet. Both had long black hair tied back in a ponytail with two side bangs. Both wore silver frame glasses, however, that was where the similarities stopped. The reflection to my left had pale white skin, and behind the glasses were a pair of blood red eyes with extremely narrow pupils. He smirked at me, and I saw fangs. The reflection to my left had tanned cream skin. Behind his glasses was a pair of golden amber eyes with just as narrow pupils. He too smirked, revealing fangs as well.

I took a breath, several breaths in fact, as I stared at my two reflections. "Validore," I said softly, panic welling my chest, "why do I have to reflections?" My voice went up an extra octave. Both reflections chuckled, and I realized with a jolt that they could hear me. Wait, they were me. Of course they could hear what I was saying.

"I have no explanation for why such a thing has occurred, Mr. Potter," Validore responded. "It is a very curious thing, though."

My reflections glanced at each other before setting their eyes on me. They both mouthed, "I am you." They smiled at me, waved, and then disappeared into the mirror, leaving my image in its place.

"That…was scary," I blurted out as I walked away from the mirror. "I…had two reflections. What is _wrong_ with me?" Validore shook his head.

"There is nothing wrong with you, Mr. Potter. There is a good explanation for why you had two reflections, but I am not the one who holds your answer. When you meet your parents, they may be able to tell you what you want to know." I scowled at his lack of information. He was a lot of help.

I walked over to the wall closest to the mirror and sat down against it. Ron was a few feet away, seated on the ground as well. He was staring at his hands in what I could only presume to be fascination. I looked down at mine only to find that they were shaking. I realized abruptly that _I _was shaking. The experience was something that I hadn't prepared myself for, and it only made me curious and frightened as to what or who I was. I had two reflections, both near polar opposites of each other. Both had fangs and weirdly colored eyes. I wanted to know more about them. I wanted to know more about myself. I was a mystery that I needed to solve.

"My mum…is not my mum," Ron said suddenly, catching my attention. "I'm not related to anyone in my family. Yet, despite my hair color being darker and my eyes changing color, somehow, when I saw my reflection, I was reminded of Bill." A smile erupted onto his face and chortled. "In one of the darkest moments of my life, I think about Bill. I amaze myself."

I snorted. "You did kind of look like him," I commented. "But you seemed…more dangerous than Bill, even after his run in with Greyback. Your reflection didn't need scars to be intimidating." Ron snorted. We were dragged out of conversation by the remaining four's argument.

"Why do I have to go next?" Neville questioned. "Sure, I'm curious, but can't I go last?"

"None of us want to go next…" Fred began.

"…So you have to go," George finished.

"Yeah, Longbottom, stop being such a coward," Draco sneered.

"If that's the case, then why don't _you_ go, Malfoy!" Neville shot back. Draco looked surprised by the suggestion. He paused for a moment.

"Fine," he announced. "I'll go." Draco walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection.

Reflected back at him was a tall – at most six feet – teen with the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen. He had long golden blonde hair and light creamed skin. He didn't hold himself with an air of pride and nobility as Draco so often did. Instead, he seemed humble, easygoing. Happy. I couldn't help but find him slightly angelic as well, but that was most likely just me.

Reflection Draco gazed down at his glamoured self and smiled softly, waving at him while mouthing a simple hi. Draco wasn't frightened by his reflection's independence. He instead scowled, most likely finding him a little too humble. Reflection Draco seemed startled by his glamoured self's attitude. He frowned himself, disappointed and shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak. I prepared myself to read his lips, but I was startled when a voice erupted from the mirror, soft and light, angelic. "Your attitude will only cause you to be alone, Draco. Take a look at the people around you, for they are the ones that you shall be forced to stick with for a long time." With that, the reflection gazed upon the rest of us before disappearing, leaving a dazed Draco gazing at a reflection of himself.

"My, that was surprising," Validore said. "It seems that the mirror shows more than just our personality, but our inner emotions and thoughts, the ones that we can't reach ourselves. Interesting. I never thought that they'd have enough power to speak through the mirror. Very interesting."

"Our turn," the twins announced, forcefully shoving Draco from the mirror and standing before it themselves. Reflected in the mirror were two tall boys with shoulder length hot red hair. Their skin was an unblemished tanned cream. Their eyes were a bright green that bordered on neon. I couldn't help but think that there wasn't much difference to the twins' appearances.

Reflection Fred gazed down at his glamoured self and grinned mischievously. Reflection George rolled his eyes at his twin before grinning down at his glamoured self. I immediately knew that despite appearances, the twins would still be a bunch of pranksters and troublemakers.

"You know, George," Fred said. "I think I like them."

"I think so, too, Fred," George responded. I found it slightly unsettling how both sets of twins grinned mischievously at each other. I relaxed when the reflections disappeared. The twins groaned. They had been enjoying their other reflections.

"How come there is very little difference between their reflections and themselves?" Ron questioned.

"Some personality traits slipped through the glamour, I suppose," Validore absentmindedly explained. "However, it is getting late, and I have something else to show you. Mr. Longbottom, if you wouldn't mind." Neville sighed and marched himself to the mirror. What he saw when he opened his eyes startled him.

In the mirror was a young man who was as tall as the twin's reflection. He had long, luxuriously thick brown hair that was tied back with forehead bangs as well as two side bangs. His eyes were a remarkable aquatic blue that seemed to flow like real water. His skin was a normal cream. Reflection Neville smiled at us, grasping his elbows as he did so. Calmly, he pulled up his bangs to reveal a mark in the center of his forehead. It was a pentagram drawn in blue. In each point was a red dot. Outside each point was a green dot. In the center of the pentagram was black dot.

Neville's hands rushed to his forehead as the reflection let his bangs drop, returning to his former position. The reflection watched as his glamoured self did a rather impressive imitation of a fish. He glanced around at the rest of us before returning to Neville. "Neville, strange things will happen, but at least you know one thing. You can trust your friends." The reflection disappeared, leaving a bewildered Neville behind.

"Well, now that you've seen yourselves, it has gotten late, and it is time for you all to retire to your private apartments," Validore announced. "Before you do so, though, I have something for you." He came up to each of us and handed up an envelope. "These are letters from your parents. Open them when you get to your apartments, but for now, follow me."

Still gazing at faded envelope, I followed the others out of the room as Validore led us to our chambers.


	3. Chapter 3

I flopped onto the king-sized bed of the main bedroom. My apartment was large. All of our apartments were huge. Validore had taken us on a cart ride from hell to the deepest part of the vaults. There, we found four negative numbered vaults. Validore gave us the keys, wished us a good a rest, and then left us to our own devices. I was personally thankful that I would get a chance to rest. Ever since last year's Triwizard Tournament fiasco, I've been unable to sleep well, if at all. Whatever Voldemort did, it messed with my mind. I had nightmares every time I closed my eyes, yet despite this, I was happy to finally be able to rest.

So when I entered my apartments, I went straight for the bedroom, where I was now. I snuggled deeper into the soft comforter, moaning at its softness. Dudley's old bed was shit compared to this one. I had to force myself to get up. I knew I was filthy, so I went in search of my bathroom, where I stripped bare and took a nice hot shower with no time limit for a change.

After an hour, I returned to my room with a towel around my waist, in search of some clean clothes. After some rambling through the drawers of a large dresser, I found a clean pair of underwear along with a night shirt and matching pants. I slipped into them and folded my own dirty clothes before hopping onto the bed again. I snuggled my face into the pillow and stretched. I snuggled deeper into the comforter, relishing the bed's superb softness, instinctually closing my eyes. I regretted it soon after as images of Cedric Diggory dying a painful death flashed underneath my eyelids. My eyes snapped open, and I forced myself to stare up at the ornately decorated ceiling. I would be getting any sleep tonight.

I sighed, realizing that despite being utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically, I was going to be stuck staring up at the ceiling all night. For the nth time in my life, I wished that I was normal, that nothing bad ever happened to me.

I rolled onto my stomach and yawned. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. That was when a particular envelop caught my eye. My mind went racing back to what had happened in the chamber with the others. I wanted to know. I wanted to know why I'd seen two reflections and not on. I wanted to know who I was.

I grabbed the envelope Validore had given me from the nightstand. I ripped it open and removed the letter inside. I gazed at the beautiful handwriting and knew that this had to have been written from my mother.

I'm not sure how to start this. Your father wanted me to put dear something, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to read anything like that. You most likely don't even know who you are. I suppose then that that is the entire reason for this letter.

My name is Izayoi Takahashi. I am your mother. Your father is Haruo Takahashi. You are our second born son. Your birth name is Takuya Takahashi, but where you are now, you go by Harrison James Potter. The reason I know this is because your father and I chose the Potters to be your new parents. The Potters were friends of ours, and we wanted to place you into safe hands. You see, it was necessary to place you with them. You're a prince, and as heir to the throne, you needed to be safe.

Takuya, you've lived most of your life as a normal human. Well, not normal. You've lived most of your life as a human wizard, however, that is not what your truly are. Yes, you are able to use magic, but you are not human. Takuya, I am a vampire. Your father is a werewolf. Normally, when a child is born of a pairing between a werewolf and a vampire, the child is either a vampire or a werewolf. However, Takuya, you were supposed to have a twin. Instead, while still in the womb, you and your twin merged again. Because of the merge, you are both wolf and…leech. This is known as the Chimaera affect. When the people of our kingdom found out about this, they wanted you dead. They thought of you as a freak. This was partially the reason for why we sent you away.

The second reason for your not being with your real family is difficult to explain, but I shall try anyway. It is the reason why you're heir and not your older brother. When you were a year old, you managed to absorb a magical artifact known as the Dark Soul. The Dark Soul was named so because it was the remnants of the soul of the dead god of darkness. When you absorbed it, it sealed your fate as both a shadow elemental and as the new god of darkness. Everyone wanted to kill you. We could only keep you safe until the age of four.

By the time you were four, we came across a young, but powerful sorceress. She told us that she was able to send you to another realm under a powerful glamour for your safety. The only problem was that she could only add a year to your "parents" memories. Luckily, this was not needed, as the Potters knew who you were. However, they augmented their friends and families memories by a year. Because of this, you are in fact three years older than your friends are.

Takuya, I can only hope that you understand that your father and I only sent you away for your own safety. I hope one day soon that you will be home safe with your family.

I love you, Takuya. We all do.

I stared at the paper, my hand shaking. My mom wrote this. My mom was a vampire. I dad was a werewolf. I was both. I was a shadow elemental. I was a god. No, I was a god of darkness. I was shaking; I was shaking so hard that I almost ripped the letter. My chest was becoming tight. My breathing was becoming restricted. My vision blurred. It took me a minute to realize that I was crying.

Suddenly, something snapped in the back of my mind. I bolted up from the bed. I threw the letter down, threw a pillow to the wall. With as much force as I could, I threw vases across the room, relishing in the sound of them shattering. I threw picture frames from the dresser, knocked everything off the nightstand, nearing setting aflame the curtains when I tossed the lit candle down. I trashed the room, threw more items against the wall. For a few hours, I was absorbed in my fit of angered hysteria.

When I had control again, I found myself on the ground, surrounded by broken ceramic and glass. I could smell the smoke from the fire where the candle had landed on the lush carpet. For a moment, I considered remaining on the floor and allowing the fire consume the room and myself, but I realized that that was the cowardly way out. I rose and searched the floor before finding my wand and extinguishing the fire. I collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling again. I absentmindedly flicked my wrist, fixing everything that was broken and magically setting everything back into its place. Within five minutes, the room looked as if nothing had ever happened. Too bad I couldn't say the same thing about myself.

I was confused, shocked, angry, and frightened. I was…dark. By species, I was dark. I was part vampire. I would have to drain people of their blood. I would kill people just for what kept their hearts beating. I was part werewolf. That wasn't as frightening as being vampiric. Remus could help me adjusting. He could help me cope with this new part of me. I was a shadow elemental. Elementals were rare. That part I liked. They were rare and powerful. However, I was a shadow elemental. I was made to love the darkness. Anything dark, I liked. That's what being a shadow elemental meant, right? I was the darkest of dark beings. Shadow elementals created the dark arts. Not only that, but I was the dark god. The pains in my chest came back again.

I was supposed to save the world. I was supposed to protect everyone. I was the savior of the light. How I could I help everyone when I was the darkest person in history?

I don't remember when or how, but I passed out. I had the worst nightmares that night. The worst part was that my worst nightmare wasn't even a nightmare. It was my reality.

* * *

Yeah, I know. This chapter was really short. I made Harry sound crazy, angsty, and what not, but you know. It only gets better as the story goes on.


	4. Chapter 4

I jerked awake, shooting forward into a sitting position. I sat in bed, shaking both from my nightmare and from the chill of the sweat that had become cold while I slept. My clothes were soaked with sweat as were the bed sheets and comforter. I sat panting as I waited for the fear and anxiety to leave.

I through the comforters off and flew into the bathroom. I took an hour long shower, washing away my anxiety, my fear melting away. My dreams had been abstract, though they revolved around last year's tournament. My chest constricted, and I collapsed against the wall of the shower, sliding to the floor. I began to shake uncontrollably as guilt washed over my body. It was my fault Cedric died. I should have done _something._ So many people were dying because of me. Cedric died. My parents died. No, the Potters died. That made me shake even harder. That made me burst into uncontrollable tears.

I curled up into a pathetic wet, naked ball as I sobbed on the floor. The warm water of the shower continued to fall on me as I cried. I was pathetic. I was dangerous. I was a freak. Every insult, punch, and kick came back to me, causing me to cry hysterically. I was a freak. I was a freak. The Dursleys were right. I was a freak. I didn't deserve to live. I've caused people to die. I will only cause even more people to die. _I _will kill people in the near future. That was the curse of a vampire. That was what I was. I was a bloodthirsty vampire, a danger to society. I was dark. Nothing I did could ever change that. So I cried. I cried for being a freak. I cried for being dark. I cried for the people who died to save me. I cried for the lives I would take later. I cried for how pathetic I was for crying.

Suddenly, I recalled last night's activities, how I nearly set fire to the room, how I nearly wanted the fire to consume me. I remembered how I found that a coward's escape. I realized that I was a coward. I uncurled myself, my mind set. I turned off the water, exited the shower. I stood in front of the sink, staring into a mirror. I momentarily thought I'd see my other reflection. When I realized that this was a normal mirror, rage bubbled up inside of me. My hand curled into a fist, and I smashed the mirror. I didn't wince at the pain as the reflective glass pierced my skin, embedding into my knuckles. Instead, I gasped as a wave of pleasure washed over my body. I shivered, staring down as blood welled up in the cuts before running down my hand, dripping off and staining the white porcelain sink.

I stared at the blood before looking up at the broken mirror. I gazed at my fractured my image before grabbing a piece of glass from the mirror. I cut my fingers on it but thought nothing of it. I stared at the bloody glass in my hand before gripping it and running it across my wrist. I watched as blood dribbled at an insane rate from my hand. I'd cut a vein.

I smiled as my world began to spin. I dropped the piece of glass to the ground before slowly sinking there myself. Suicide was a coward's way out. I was a coward. It was my way out of this confusing, unfair, depressing reality that was my life.

I was relieved when my world went black.

* * *

I felt myself floating in the darkness. I liked it. I've always liked the dark. I was always alone, and when I needed comfort the most, the shadows were always there. The dark was my best friend. When I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend named Dark. No, I had two imaginary friends named Dark. They were twins. A boy and girl. Boy Dark had short, spiky hair. His eyes were deep pools of onyx that I could get drown inside. He was my height at the time which was short for my age. He had dark brown skin. I liked that about him because the Dursleys didn't hang around with African Americans. Girl Dark was just like her brother. She had the same dark brown skin and drowning onyx black eyes. Her hair was long and luxurious and hung off her shoulders in curly pools. Both she and her brother were always there for me. They comforted me when I was stuffed into the cupboard underneath the stairs. They were my best friends. There are still my best friends, always willing to listen to me when I talk to them during the summer when I'm forced to remain locked inside Dudley's bedroom. I know it makes me sound crazy, but they are real to me.

So as I floated in the darkness, I lay with my head on Girl Dark's lap while Boy Dark held my hand. Neither of them spoke, but then again, they never talked. Darkness doesn't speak. It's silent, but you can always understand what it's trying to tell you. Girl Dark petted my hair while Boy Dark stroked my hand, placing gentle butterfly kisses on the back of my hand, trying to comfort me as I remained stuck between life and death.

I was fading off when Boy Dark abruptly stopped stroking my hand just as his sister stopped petting my hair. I opened my eyes to look up at them in confusion. That was when I noticed that several yards away from me, the darkness was getting lighter. I frowned. I recognized that light. It wasn't the light for me to travel through to the other side. Instead, it was the light that signified my awakening, my return to life. My suicide attempt was a failure. That only wounded my ego even more. If I couldn't kill myself, then how was I supposed to kill Voldemort?

Boy Dark stood as his sister gently removed my head from her lap and stood as well. She kissed my left temple while Boy Dark kissed my right. They smiled at me and squeezed my hands reassuringly before back away and disappearing into the darkness, just as the light engulf me and the darkness disappeared.

"Harry!" an unidentifiable voice shouted. "Harry, wake up!"

"Come on, mate! This isn't funny!" another voice shouted.

"Yeah! We need you! The Wizarding World needs you!" another voice, similar to the voice that it followed.

"Harry! Harry!" the first voice shouted. It was clearer this time, and I recognized it as Ron, just as my world became bright.

I was greatly blinded by the bright light. I blinked several times before my eyes became accustomed to the brightness, and everything else blurred into place. I looked up at the blurry figures of who I assumed to be the Weasley children. One of the blurry figures leaned forward and settled my old glasses on my face. I blinked as my vision cleared, and I was fully able to see the Weasleys before me.

Ron let out a huge sigh of relief as he fell on his butt. Fred and George repeated the action. "Thank Merlin, you're awake," Ron mumbled. "I thought you had died." A wave of guilt washed over me, but before I could drown in it, Fred and George latched onto me, shocking me.

"This is a serious Mom moment, but what possessed you to try and kill yourself?" Fred shouted as he hugged me. George pulled away from me and locked eyes with mine. I saw how he searched them for any clue as to what would cause me to off myself.

"You've been crying, haven't you?" he whispered. I felt the heat rush to me face as another wave of guilt washed over me. This time, I knew I would drown as it was followed by waves of anxiety, dread, and fear. As my emotions flooded me, I forgot about my friends who were in the room and burst into tears. I felt pathetic again. I was fifteen and crying my eyes out like a girl. I was supposed to be the savior of the Wizarding World, yet I was crying my eyes out like a pathetic child. Why hadn't I just died as a baby? Why hadn't I died minutes ago when I tried?

I froze mid-sob when George latched onto me again, only this time, he began to pat my back in a soothing manner. I looked up at him, surprised, only for him to smile back at me. "It's okay to cry when you're unsure." I stared at him for a moment before allowing the tears to well up in my eyes again. This time, I was the one who latched onto him, crying my heart out into his chest.

* * *

"Well," I started, sniffing as I wiped my eyes, "when I was a kid, I wasn't exactly treated fairly. My aunt, uncle, and cousin treated me as though I weren't even human. I was Dudley's punching bag for him and his friends. I was Uncle Vernon's punching bag for whenever he needed to release some anger or when he just wanted to hit me. Dudley would blame something on me, and no matter how impossible it would be for me to do it, Vernon would come upstairs and, to put it bluntly, beat the shit out of me. Aunt Petunia never hit me. I think she was afraid of me, and the only thing that made her relax a little was the fact that I couldn't use magic during the summer. I was she and Uncle Vernon's personal slave. I did all of the chores. I woke up extremely early and went to sleep extremely late. I would be forced to cook and clean for them, so I'm good at house chores now. I've actually found the work relaxing because it's the only time that I'm alone."

The Weasleys sat with me on the bathroom floor, staring at me in startled fascination. "Wait, I'm still stuck on what you said before all of that," Fred said. "They would beat you?" I nodded silently. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"Uncle Vernon is several times my size," I replied. "I've tried, oh have I tried. Whenever I've tried, I get beaten within an inch of my life." I stopped. I started shaking again. For years, I've been a secretive person. When I tried to tell my teachers before, they would look shocked, promise to tell child welfare, and then would come back the next day not remembering a word of their promise. I gave up telling anyone. I kept my abuse a secret, only for it to begin eating me up inside. I became embarrassed of the bruises and black eyes that I would receive and would try to hide it. The worst mark, however, was the one that I was the most embarrassed to speak of, and it always came when I tried to fight back, or if he had just gotten into a fight with Aunt Petunia.

I must have started shaking because George wrapped me in a towel. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," he whispered. I shook my head, wiping my eyes free of the tears that threatened to fall.

"I want to tell you," I responded. "I want to tell you. I _need _to tell you. I've been keeping this back for so many years that it's been more doing more bad than good." I paused and took a deep breath. "When Uncle Vernon-" I cut off. "When I would try to escape…Uncle Vernon would..."I felt the words catch in my throat. "Oh my god, I can't do it. I can't say it. Why can't I say it? I want to say it!" I placed my face in my hands, shaking. I took a deep breath.

"What did he do, Harry?" Ron questioned. George placed a hand up to stop him.

"Harry, you don't have to-" he began, but I cut him off.

"He raped me." My hesitant voice bounced off the walls of the bathroom. I sat froze and fearful. Would they hate me now that they realized that I was dirty? Disgusting? I was shocked, however, when I was tackled by the Weasley boys.

"Oh, Merlin!" George shouted in my left ear. "It's alright! Oh, Merlin! I wish I could've been there! I want to hurt that bastard for what he did to you!"

"You hurt, I kill!" Fred shouted.

"I castrate!" Ron shouted. I could only stare at them.

"What?" was the only intelligent thing I could say. I couldn't believe that they were actually thinking of ways to torture my uncle after what I told them. Didn't they care that I was dirty, impure? Didn't they care that I was nothing but garbage? Worthless, used trash?

"Harry, it's alright!" Fred shouted. "I promise that we'll make sure that you will never have to go back to that place!" I stared at him, unbelieving.

"Why would you help me?" I whispered, causing them all to settle down. "Why would you help me knowing that I'm so weak that I couldn't even stop my uncle from raping me? Why would you help me knowing that I'm useless, used, and dirty? Why?"

The bathroom was drenched in silence as my words settled inside of their minds. I shivered, wrapping my torso with the towel, pulling the second one further up my lap. I was cold, so very cold. It was a cold that I only felt whenever I'd managed to escape death. It was a cold that I should have become accustomed to by now, yet still chilled me right to the bone.

"Harry," Ron whispered, his blue eyes gazing at me in sympathy and sorrow. "Harry, you are not dirty." His eyes hardened into determination. "You are not weak. You are not useless. Your uncle was terrible to you. Don't think that what he did to you was your fault, because it wasn't. You deserved better. No one deserves to go through something like that. You relatives should be punished to the full extent of the law."

"Ron is right, Harry," George reassured me, squeezing my hand. "You've saved my brother's life so many times that it's ridiculous. You are strong. You can't blame yourself for not being able to stop your uncle. I've _seen _how grotesquely huge that mammoth is. He doesn't need magic to be able to win against us. It's not our fault that Hogwarts doesn't train us for hand-to-hand combat. You were unprepared. Yes, you were weak against him, but you're not weak when it comes to magic. After all, you have won battles that no one else can, right?"

"I actually think that Hogwarts needs a hand-to-hand combat class," Fred interrupted. "Then, we can all got and kick your uncle's ass for everything he's done to you. I personally want to put in a few punches."

"We can only hope that they don't bounce of his thick stomach," Ron mumbled. Despite everything that had been said before, I burst out into laughter. An image popped into my head of Ron trying (and failing) to beat up Uncle Vernon, only for his fists to hit the monstrous jelly punching back known as his stomach. I only laughed harder at the thought.

My abrupt laughter must have been contagious because the Weasley boys burst into hysterics as well, my despair and their anger forgotten. Is this what it's like to have friends that truly understand you?

* * *

After laughing for a good ten minutes, the boys left the bathroom to allow me to get dressed, after cleaning up the shattered glass and making sure that there was nothing there that I could cut myself with. George told me that they'd found me on the floor, unconscious in a pool of my own blood only minutes after I'd originally passed out. He explained to me that he'd had a feeling to come and check up on me. I couldn't help but silently thank that feeling. I'd be dead right now, though some part of me hated them for finding me so soon.

Ron surprised me when he stated that it was only seven in the morning. Had all of this really occurred so early? As I thought about it while I slipped on a black sweater, I remembered that the time had in fact been five something. That meant that I'd been out for almost twenty minutes, which was unnatural, seeing as I'd lost a lot of blood. Was it because of my natural heritage, or had the boys done something to me while I was out?

I exited the bathroom wearing a pair of black pants with my sweater. The guys were spread out around my bedroom. Ron was lying on the bed while George was going through my dresser drawers and Fred was looking through one of the books on the bookcase across the room. They all paused what they were doing to look up at me before returning to their business.

"Validore doesn't want to see us until nine, so I'm going back to sleep," Ron mumbled.

"How do you know that?" I questioned as I dropped onto my bed.

"I asked him last night. He really said that he didn't want us to leave our apartments until nine. That's two hours away. Wake me when it's nine."  
"Oh, no you don't," Fred shouted as he threw himself on top of the boy's prone form. Ron let out a shout and began squirming underneath him. Several muffled shouts of get off were heard from him, but were easily ignored. "If you go to sleep, then the rest of us go to sleep. It would be unfair to everyone else if you were the only one who got to nap two hours away."

George threw himself onto my bed near me and stretched out. "Yeah," he said, snatching a pillow from the head of the bed. "That would be unfair." I snorted before casting a tempus charm.

"It is early, and we do have time," I mumbled. "A nap would be nice."

"Say no more," Fred announced. He mumbled an incantation under his breath as he waved his wand in the air. "There. Now the alarm is set. Lights out." I snort, but collapsed onto the bed, anyway.

As I pressed myself deeper into the soft sheets, I couldn't help but feel relaxed and safe snuggled in between Fred and George with Ron on the other side of George. I felt...content. I couldn't help but relish in the feeling as I drifted off to sleep. Before I did, I said a soft thank you to them and to the twin Darks.


	5. Chapter 5

I awoke after an hour to the soft twilling of my mental alarm clock. I'd found a weird spell long ago that kept track of time, even if I didn't, and would wake me up on time every morning. I liked the spell, personally, though Hermione had found it weird, unusual, and potentially dangerous despite its usefulness.

I shifted slightly in the comfortable, sleep still hanging over me thickly as I mentally turned off the alarm. I woke up an hour before I was supposed to. I'd forgotten to reset the clock, so I decided to snuggle back into the warm confines of the bed. Nestled next to me in a deep sleep was George who was extremely close. Behind me was Fred, who had his back towards me. Ron had somehow managed to fall out of the bed without taking any of the covers with him, though that was probably why George seemed to be gripping them so tightly.

Surrounded by my friends, I felt safe and secure. Still in a sleepy haze, I snuggled back under the covers. As I allowed the heat from the others to wash over me, I found myself in an interesting predicament. The feeling of safety as well as the comfortable heat had had certain…effects on my body. I felt my face burned a bright red when I found myself becoming hard.

I blushed with embarrassment when I realized that I had no way of escaping from the bed to the bathroom. I was caught between the twins who were pressing themselves hard against me, which only made my predicament even worse.

As I tried to worm my way out from between them, George shifted, his hand resting on my leg. I froze, surprised by the unneeded action. It only got worse.

"Harry, what are you doing?" he mumbled, still laden with sleep. "You weren't thinking of leaving me, were you?" I almost answered his question, before I realized that he was dead asleep. Ron had told me one time how his brothers tended to act out their dreams while asleep, though he had strongly indicated that this issue only came when they were close to waking up.

George scooted closer to me, and I felt my hardness poke him in the stomach. Though his facial structure was relaxed, I heard rather than saw the smirk when he mumbled, "Well aren't you excited?" I gasped when I felt his hand travel up my leg to my crotch. I forced my fist into my mouth when he ran his fingers up the clothed length before diving his hand into my pants. The feel of his cool hand around my hard, throbbing cock caused me to roll my eyes into the back of my head as I mentally moaned with pleasure.

I wanted to tell him to stop, but it just felt so good as he ran his thumb along my length before circling the head. I arched my back as a wave of ecstasy ran over the sensitive nerves of the head. Sadly, that was when he decided to wake up.

George's eyes snapped open, and for a full minute, we stared at each other, him with his hand in my pants and me with my fist in my mouth. Awkward. After that minute, George glanced down to find his hand in my pants, clutching my hard cock. His eyes flew up to mine only to drop back to my pants and back up again. The embarrassment, shock, and what I guessed was disgust was evident in his eyes.

After a long two minutes, George whispered what I could only make out to be an "Oh, Merlin." He stared at me, his breaths coming in quick pants. It took me a moment to realize that he was about to freak out. "I am _so_ sorry, Harry!" he whispered as softly as he could. He opened his mouth to say more, but remembered that he was still clutching my hard dick. He let go and was about to remove his hand, but I stopped.

"Oh my god, no," I whispered, grabbing his wrist with both hands. He stared at me, surprised and confused. "D-don't – Don't stop. Please." George stared at me as if I were crazy, which I was, technically. I needed that feeling of pleasure again. I couldn't stay hard forever. It was too painful for me to deal with, and I knew that even if he had let me run to the bathroom to finish myself off, it wouldn't have felt as good as it had before. I knew it was selfish, but I couldn't let he stop before he'd finished. I _needed_ him to finish me off. I _wanted_ him to finish me off.

I noticed how he was fighting himself, and I couldn't help the whimper that erupted from my lips. I knew that it was wrong for me to do that, but I couldn't help it. George stared at me for a moment before taking a breath, closing his eyes, and gripping my painfully throbbing cock tightly, eliciting a noise that was in between a gasp and a moan. I forced my fist into my mouth again as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

Busy drowning in my own pleasure, I didn't notice that George had shifted in the bed. I resurfaced to find that he was now towering over me, or more specifically, my dick. He unzipped my pants, and I repressed a moan as the cool air of the room hit it. My eyes widened, and I bit down on my fist as he breathed on the very tip. My eyes rolled back as he flicked his tongue across the head. I arched my back when he swallowed me whole.

I nearly blacked out as all of my senses overloaded as he bobbed his head up and down along the shaft in an unknown rhythm. Where had he learned to use his tongue – no – his _mouth _like that? The Wizarding World discouraged homosexuals, yet here he was sucking me off like a pro, and sweet Jesus, was I loving it.

I was drowning again in my own pleasure, though I couldn't help but wonder if George was enjoying it, too. I forced myself to look through the heavily haze that I was in, wanting to see how George was reacting all of this. I almost came when I saw the smirk on his mouth as he licked, sucked, and devoured my length. Who was this boy who seemed to find pleasure in doing such a dirty act? Dumb question. If it's against the rules, the Weasley twins were bound to do it.

My thoughts were broken as a powerful wave of pleasure came over me, resulting in the immediate ejection of most of my semen for the day. I'd managed to keep from screaming aloud, though I'd bitten my fist to the bone. The pain had made it even more enjoyable.

As I floated down from my orgasmic high, I vaguely noticed or felt as George licked off the remaining cum from my limp dick, almost as though it was the most delicious thing in the world. I was surprised when I noticed that he actually swallowed it. Who does that? George.

I felt the bed move as he worked his way back up to the headboard. "I never realized just how good you'd taste," he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. What was he talking about? "For a year, I've been…attracted to you, Harry. I know that this may creep you out, but it's the truth. Thank you for allowing me the chance to…taste you. Thank you." He snuggled his face into my neck, breathing out another thank you that gave me goose-bumps before passing out.

So I lay in silence, with my fly open, as well as with one of my friends snuggled into my neck. I'd just had my first blowjob – a mind blowing experience, mind you – but the fact remained that it was a friend, a guy friend, who had given it to me. I didn't know what to think, at the moment. The content and security that I had felt before was still there, but there was another emotion that I could not describe there. It was an emotion that I didn't want to describe yet. I was okay with not knowing what it was. It wasn't awkwardness. I was far from awkward. Maybe I would find out later on. Maybe.

I reached down and zipped up my fly. I didn't want the others to wake up, wondering why my fly was open. I would already have enough problems with George nuzzled into my neck. I pulled the cover back on top of us, those I was tempted to steal it from Fred, who had remained obliviously unaware throughout the entire act. I thought for sure that he would have at the very least shifted in his sleep, but Fred was out like a rock. If a rock could pass out, anyway. I thanked Merlin for life's tiny miracles, because that was one of them. Even Ron was still out, though I wasn't surprised. He was always a deep sleeper.

I mentally checked the time. It was thirty minutes until nine. We needed to get up and get ready to meet Validore and the others, but I didn't want to get up. I was warm and comfortable, as well as satiated. I was tired. I set my alarm for eight – fifty. That would give us ten minutes before we had to meet Validore. It wouldn't be too hard for me to wake them up.

I yawned and stretched. Snuggled up under the covers, I closed my eyes and gave myself twenty more minutes of sleep. I knew it wouldn't be enough, but I deserved it. I was the Boy-Who-Lived, right?

* * *

I just had to work in my own little smut chapter. I always have liked a good Harry/Twins pairing myself. This chapter was really quick, but trust me, they will get longer...eventually.


	6. Chapter 6

I struggled with myself when I heard the soft twilling of my mental alarm clock. I most likely would have shut it off and fallen right back to sleep if it weren't for the gentle shakes I was receiving. I opened my eyes to find George standing over me.

"Come on, Harry," he said. "We only have ten minutes before Validore arrives for us." Despite myself, I scowled and closed my eyes again.

"I know what time it is," I mumbled before stretching. I moaned when I felt my back pop. I didn't feel as uncomfortable in my body anymore.

"Come on, mate," George insisted. "We have to get ready to leave now. I don't want to hear Malfoy's bloody mouth about us keeping him waiting. He already thinks that you're a coward for wanting to be Obliviated." George's hands flew to his mouth as I swiftly turned to look up at him.

"Excuse me?" I growled. George's eyes widened with shock and what I could only make out as fear. He shook his head.

"I was not supposed to say that," he said swiftly. "I was not supposed to say that at all." His eyes darted from left to right, almost as though he were looking for something. He turned back to me, pasting a highly nervous smile on his face. "Okay, before I repeat myself, please tell me you don't have you wand on you."

I scowled with impatience. I jumped to my feet. "No, I don't!" I snapped, causing him to wince, "That doesn't mean that I still can't wipe that stupid smile from your face! What did Malfoy say?"

"Calm down now, Harry," George said as he held his hands up. "You know how Malfoy can get!"

I growled, the sound surprisingly animalistic, somewhat scaring me into rational thought which only made me remember Malfoy and return to my irrational behavior. I am very sure that to George, it may have seemed that I went to from extremely angry to suddenly calm, only to return to extremely angry. To think that they say that Voldemort is insane.

"What. Did. Malfoy. Say?" I growled out, saying each word through my teeth. I watched as George's Adam's apple bob up and down when he swallowed, which briefly reminded me of what had happened only a few minutes before. A chill ran down my spine, quickly extinguishing my anger. Without it, though, I was exhausted, far too tired to continue to think about Malfoy or what happened earlier.

George noticed as I settled down, a little calmer than before, but somewhat flushed. He stared at me for a moment, looking confused, almost as if he didn't know what to do. "Are you alright?"

I inadvertently flushed before nodding. "I'm fine." I grimaced when it came out in a squeak. George continued to stare at me, which only caused me to blush harder. That was when I saw the enlightenment flash through his eyes, which was quickly replaced by a mischievous smirk.

"You were remembering what happened earlier, weren't you?" he spoke, leaning in closer with that same smirk still plastered onto his face. I lowered my head in embarrassment and shame, my face red hot.

"Will you two hurry up?" Fred abruptly shouted from somewhere in the front. I was about to get up and run away, but George stopped me by grabbing my shoulders just as I was standing up. His touch sent an electric charge through my body, causing me to shiver as goose-bumps rose along my arms.

"Why so red?" George questioned, noting my scarlet face. "I liked it. I wouldn't mind doing it again, either." I didn't know it was possible, but I'm sure that I got _redder_. George chuckled. He paused when I didn't look up. "Are you… are you ashamed of what happened?" Yeah, that pretty much described what I was feeling at the moment. Shame. I was ashamed that I'd enjoyed another man's mouth on me. That was disgusting, right? I liked Cho Chang. She was a girl. George was guy, but I had still enjoyed him sucking me. If I had a choice, I'd want him to do again. By what he's said, he wanted to as well, but it was still wrong. Men weren't meant to be together, right?

George took my lack of an answer as a no and released my shoulders. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Harry," he mumbled before he walked away. I lifted my head in time to watch him walk out of the room. I felt like hitting myself. I was such an idiot.

I stood up, stretching slightly, and headed to the bathroom. I stood gazing at myself in the mirror for a good five minutes before I heard Ron shouting about us being late. I hurried out, forcing myself to forget George and what happened. I needed to focus on what was going to happen to me. I needed to focus on my entire life changing right before my eyes. We left the room in silence with George ignoring me. I think my heart broke at that moment.

* * *

"Good morning, gentlemen," Validore greeted us as we entered the room where the mirror was being held. "I hope that you are all well rested. Did you read the letters I gave you last night?" I nodded, briefly remembering my anger and confusion after reading the letter, remembering the nightmares I'd received from it, as well as the need to kill myself, which I'd almost succeeded in doing. That reminded me. How had the Weasleys known to come to my room at that exact time?

"Can we get this over with before Potter tries to off himself this time?" Draco sneered. "Though, I suppose that would be easier to deal with than knowing he was still alive and killing people just by remaining alive." With those two stabs to my heart, I found myself stumbling backwards, only to be caught by George, who I hadn't known was behind me. I thought he was ignoring me. I guess he'd stopped because from look on his face, he wanted to skin and gut Draco with his bare hands.

"Why don't you save us the pain and torture and just die yourself before I do it!" he shouted back. "Only an ignorant fool would say something as stupid as that!"

"You act as if you're Potter's bodyguard now. Can't he speak for himself?" Actually, I couldn't. My voice was caught in my throat, the full momentum of his insult swinging into me at high speed. He was right. I would be better off dead. Even I knew that. I'd caused so many people to die just because I lived through a Killing Curse. It was my fault for why so many people were constantly being endangered. Hell, my friends were caught in several battles that could have killed them, and it was all because of me.

I swayed before my knees gave out, causing me to collapse to the ground. The world around me was spinning, and I could only vaguely hear my friends shouting out my name in worry. I felt George's arms still holding me and leaned into his embrace. My chest was constricting. Breathing was becoming harder, and I was panting. My body was shaking terribly as the temperature suddenly dropped. I was being to sweat profusely, and my vision was blurred and hazy. The world was spinning, and I knew that I would never be able to get up. Was I having a panic attack?

Through the haze, I heard Validore shout, "His glamour is affecting the way his body is reacting. He's becoming deathly ill. It must be removed at once! Bring him to the mirror."

I was startled out of the haze when George took me in his arms and lifted me. I looked weakly looked up into his face. It was hard and rigid with determination, but I could see the fear in his eyes. Wanly, I said, "I'm sorry, George." It came out more like a whisper, but I didn't care. George had heard me.

"Don't worry, Harry," he whispered at he set me down in front of the mirror. "I don't care about that. I just want you alive."

As the haze was settling on me again, my mind began to go fuzzy and three words slipped from my lips so easily that it scared me to awareness again. "I love you."

George was silent behind me, and I became terrified through the sickness that he was disgusted by me. That washed away when he whispered, "I know, but those are the wrong words for the mirror."

I blinked up at him blearily before my mind managed to retrieve the memory of yesterday. I turned to the mirror and stared at my two reflections who were both gazing down at me, worried from their expressions. I smiled at them and waved before I said the other three magic words. "I am ready."

As my body began to shut down, I noticed how the mirror began to glow a vibrant blue when I said those words. My reflections disappeared, leaving only my Harry reflection left. I stared at my sickly self for a moment before looking at George's reflection behind me. That gave me the will to survive through the hell I went through next.

I was falling into the darkness when I first felt my energy beginning to build up in my magical core. The heat of the constant flow of magic that normally pulsed through my body disappeared, all of my magical energy being sucked back into my core. I shivered, the darkness slipping away as my body fought to remain conscious. I blinked, staring at my reflection. What was going on? Why was this happening? My questions were quickly answered.

My magical core strained against the energy at it stretched it to its limit. A wave of nausea passed over me for my straining core reminded me of my stretching stomach at a Hogwarts feast. I gritted my teeth in discomfort. Would it ever stop? That, too, was answered when my magical core, weak from being pushed outwards, burst like a water balloon, sending a wave of magical energy tumbling out me. The pain was excruciating, and it took everything that I had to not cry out when my core burst. It felt as though one of my organs had exploded.

The explosion of my core was followed by a bone rattling energy pulse from where my core once was. I fell back into George's arms, in agony. Another wave of raw energy surged throughout my body, lighting up every nerve in a blaze. I felt as though I were on fire, that my flesh was burning. I could stop the bloodcurdling scream that erupted from my mouth that time.

With each wave of magically energy, the pain worsened. The scar began to burn fiercely, and my hands immediately shot to my head in an attempt to make it stop. For every wave, there was a pulse of energy behind my scar, making my head pound severely. No amount of holding it would help. It didn't stop my head from seemingly exploding with pain.

It took several moment to realize that my scar was bleeding heavily as the pain running through my head and body immobilized me. I soon forgot about it as I let out an agonizing scream when several snaps and cracks were heard as my bones shattered underneath my skin. My muscles were ripped apart, and I felt my bones shift painfully slow underneath my skin. My flesh itself felt as if with each pulse that it would be ripped from my skin.

I could no longer feel George holding me. The pain overloaded all of my senses, frying my nerves. I was sure that even if he had tried to hold me, he wouldn't have been able to do so. I was twisting and squirming too much to be constrained. I would have liked it if he held me. I would have loved it if he had killed me instead. Thoughts of my suicide attempt flashed through my mind again, and I wished for the nth time that I'd killed myself when I had had a chance.

My breath came in pants now, though I wasn't trying to breathe at the moment. The pain was reaching its peak. When I thought it wouldn't get any worse, a sudden burst of raw magical energy erupted from somewhere inside of me. With a scream that could leave nightmares, my skin was ripped from my body, my bones shattered into pieces, and my muscles became nothing.

After that, I was greeted with nothing. Completely nothing. I slipped into the familiar darkness as I dropped face forward to the cold concrete floor beneath me. The peaceful darkness embraced me just as happily as I embraced it.

* * *

I'm trying to speed up my updates for several reason. Reason #1: I've pretty much finished the story. It really funny. This has got to be the first story I've **ever **finished. So I have twenty or so chapters to post before I get tired of Harry Potter and just say screw it.

Reason #2: I've written like twenty or thirty chapters already and they're just sitting there waiting to be posted on the net. Just sitting there, using up space on my computer - which is constantly bugging me about low disk space. Fucked up computer.

Reason #3: It's the freakin summer people! I'm free from that prison known as high school! I have time to post things now. It's not like I have an active social life. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. (At least not yet.) So I might as well post some stuff.

There are my three reasons for posting. I'm pretty sure there are more, but my back is killing me, so I can't think straight. Enjoy the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7: Bellatrix Lestrange

I sat in a dank, dark dungeon-like chamber that lay underneath the Malfoy Manor. My sister's husband – I would never call that man my brother-in-law – had been nice enough to provide me a space while I hid out from the Aurors. Just a few minutes before, I awoke from a deep sleep, a very deep sleep.

For the past two or three decades, I've been…not there. If I remembered correctly, I last had control over my body when I was seventeen. Yes, that was when Tom had just become Voldemort. I had been shopping in Diagon Alley for the coming school year when the up-and-coming Death Eaters stormed the place. Rudolphus Lestrange, if I recall correctly, put me under and Imperius spell. No, that wasn't Rudolphus. It was his father. After that, everything else is hazy, but from the Dark Mark on my shoulder, I'm sure I joined the Death Eaters rank. No, I'm positive I did because I recall being a part of Voldemort's Inner Circle.

I groaned as I shifted myself into a sitting position. I was a wanted criminal. I had tortured innocent people in the name of blood purity. I've killed people. My mind swirled with new information, though one thought kept coming back. Despite my actual age, my mental age was still seventeen, despite the vast knowledge of Dark Arts I now possessed. I was too young for my thirty or forty something body.

I briefly thought about running away, but I had no place to go, and even if I wanted to leave, I was unable to do so. I could feel Rudolphus upstairs somewhere, which meant that my marriage contract was still intact, which then meant that so was the marriage clause hidden within it by the Lestranges. My "loving" parents – or rather, my "loving" father – had signed me over to the Lestranges for the main reason of blood purity.

I had the distinct feeling that my father knew I was under the effects of the Imperius curse when he decided to sell me to the Dark Lord. Yes, it was Cygnus that turned me to Voldemort, not Rudolphus. I'm so happy I killed that man all those years ago. I'm sure that he purposely signed me over to Voldemort to spite my mother and I. To spite my mother for dying on him, and to spite me for trying to run away from home. The man was a bastard, pervert, and deserved his painful death.

I forced myself to remain calm. I didn't want the others to realize that I had returned to myself. I sat back against the wall and began to go over a plan of escape. I didn't care that Rudolphus would come after me. I just wanted to be free of the Dark Mark and Voldemort himself. Those blood purists would only turn the purebloods into squibs if they ever won the second war. It was a stupid cause that I never agreed with. I hope they all rotted.

In the middle of my contemplating and planning, my vision went black before bursting into color again, only this time, I wasn't looking at the opposite wall of the chamber. The scene that played out before me was a boy, a very familiar boy, who lay on the ground, squirming and writhing in pain. His redheaded friend sat in a horrified silence as he watched his friend go through a pain that was worse than a Cruciatus spell.

Suddenly, I realized why the boy was so familiar to me. He was Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's enemy, and the only who could kill him now. I had a lot of contempt for the Dark Lord. If he had not been so fixated on the prophecy, he would still be in power now, instead having been killed by a baby. His new body was deformed and disgusting. He was weak and insane. I hoped that Harry won the war in the end.

I watched as the boy squirmed on the ground, his bloodcurdling scream sending shivers down my spine. His scream was one that would constantly reappear in my nightmares. I knew that much as I watched him. My eyes widened when his scar split open and started to bleed profusely. Several questions popped into my mind. What was going on? Why was he in such pain? What was happening to him? Where was he?

I watched with a horrified fascination as the boy's skin peeled off his very bones as he let out a tortured scream. The skin evaporated into the air and what was left was not a bloody mess of muscle covered bones. Instead, what was left was a bloody boy who looked nearly nothing like the boy who had just gone through hell. However, despite the blood, the boy gave off an air of power, or rather, I could sense the pure magical energy radiating from him in waves. This boy would be powerful.

Immediately, I realized that I wanted to follow him. He had power that no one else could attain. He'd possibly beat both Voldemort and Dumbledore.

My vision blackened before I saw the wall across from me again. I clenched my fists in resolution. When I was strong enough, I'd leave this place and find Harry Potter, or the boy that once was Harry Potter. I would find him and convince him that I was not his enemy, but his ally.

I looked up when the chamber door opened above the stairs. Rudolphus Lestrange walked down the steps, smiling at me. I prepared myself to lie through my teeth.

I pulled back lips in a sneer. "Rudolphus, when shall we be able to leave this place?" I questioned, my voice unnatural to me due to its depth and age. Rudolphus smiled, never guessing that I'd awaken from my long time under the Imperius. Good. I hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible.


	8. Chapter 8: Narcissa Malfoy

I listened halfheartedly as Lucius described his day to me. The man was an utter bore. All he did was talk of his meetings with other blood purists, complain about mudbloods and half-bloods, and talk about his meetings with Voldemort. He was about as boring to talk to as he was in bed. Sometimes I wondered why I married him, but then I always remember how my loving father signed a marriage contract with Lucius's father that also had an obedience clause. In other words, I was his servant. I was nothing more that his trophy wife, the mother of his son, and his lover. Boring. He wonders why I spend most of his money up shopping.

I longed for the company of my sisters again, especially Bella. She used to be such a doll when she was younger. Unlike our father, Bella taught Andromeda and me not to hate the mudbloods or half-bloods. She told us at a young age that they were wizards and witches just like us, and that it didn't matter whether we had two purebloods for parents or a muggle and a witch for parents because we were all able to use magic anyway. She thought that blood purity was stupid and foolish because too much inbreeding would cause squibs, though she thought that too much breeding with muggles would cause the magical gene to dilute and disappear. She thought if society found a middle way, we could all live peacefully. I truly did love my sister Bella.

However, Bella suddenly changed, becoming everything that she didn't want to be. She married into the Lestrange family, one of the biggest blood purist families known, before becoming a dangerous criminal and one of Voldemort's Inner Circle. She was exactly the thing she hated.

"…And about Draco, love," Lucius drawled on, finally catching my attention, "he was not in his room this morning. I haven't seen him all day or yesterday. Have you seen Draco? I wished to speak with him."

I gazed at my dear husband for a moment. "Draco hasn't been home, has he? I thought you had him!"

"No, didn't I just tell you that I was at work all day," Lucius reminded me, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Quickly, I replied, "Yes, yes, I remember. Where could he be, then, if not home? Do you think he is with his friends?" Lucius rose from his seat at the table.

"It is too late for him to be out," he said as he headed towards the fireplace. "I'll floo some friends to find him."

"I hope he's alright," I whispered, worry welling up inside of me. Despite how much he was like his father, Draco was still my only son, and I would love him unconditionally.

I felt panic swell inside of me as I thought about all that could happen to him. I wasn't blind to my child's arrogance. He thought he was higher than others were just because Lucius was his father. He was proud of him, though even more proud of himself. This alone caused him to be popular with only some Slytherins while the other houses either turned up their noses at him (Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff) or wanted to harm him (Gryffindor). He was mostly hated, which made me conclude that if he was out there all alone, some student might try to harm him. It would be exceptionally worse because he was unable to use magic. None of the witches and wizards were very adept in hand to hand combat. I could only hope for the best.

I rose from my seat to pace before the table, awaiting the news from my husband. How could I have not noticed that my only child was not home? Maybe it was because I myself wasn't home today. To relieve myself of boredom, I'd gone out, shopping away my day. It was a natural occurrence, one that drove Lucius insane because of my constant spending, though I only did so to relieve myself of the hollowness I felt sometimes when I was not preoccupied. I tried to spend time with Draco, but he shunned as though I were a lowly house elf. The only time I spent with Lucius was during dinner and in bed, though neither are very fulfilling.

I needed more than I have now. I deserved better. I used to be – no – I _am _a master at potions. My ability, in fact, trumps Severus's, but the Ministry would only allow a _man_ to have the title of potion master. Sexist pigs. I am highly knowledgeable when it comes to politics due to my husband's standing. I am also highly adept when it comes to alchemy and rituals. I'm also able to use ancient magic. My husband knows nothing of this, or I would have been forced to join Voldemort already. My knowledge of magical creatures would have interested him as well. My secrets are meant to be kept.

I suddenly froze in my pacing and musings as my vision began to turn black. I stumbled backwards into my chair just as I elapsed into darkness. I wondered whether or not I was having a panic attack, which wasn't uncommon for wizards, but highly undignified for purebloods. My question was answered when my vision returned, only it wasn't _my _vision.

I watched as I would a play as a highly familiar person sprung into view. It was nearly impossible not to recognize Harry Potter. I also recognized one of the Weasley boys on the floor as well, but I paid him little heed when Potter began to scream in agony. It was horrible to hear, and I was certain that I would have nightmares that night, if I could get to sleep at all while worrying about Draco.

I watched in horror as Potter squirmed and writhed in agonizing pain. I've seen many people under the Cruciatus curse, but watching this boy scream and writhe in pain was the most disturbing thing imaginable. I couldn't disguise the pity I felt for him. The entire sight was turning my stomach. What could possibly cause a boy that young to go through that much pain?

The boy let out a bloodcurdling scream that sent shivers down my spine and caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I watched in horror as his flesh was ripped off his very bones, causing blood to splatter around him. I fought down the urge to vomit and luckily won. I closed my eyes to sight, not wanting to see what was left of the boy. I expected seeing the meat of his muscles and maybe some of his veins as well. However, when I opened my eyes again, I saw the boy, only he wasn't Harry Potter. I didn't know who he was, but the power that flowed from him was intoxicating. Lucius thought that Voldemort was powerful, but this surpassed Voldemort's power by a _long _shot.

I stared in fascination at this new boy. He was Harry Potter, but he wasn't. He was much stronger than Harry Potter was, yet they were the same person. Or were they? I wanted to find out. I needed to find out. Suddenly, the political part of my mind clicked. This boy would be powerful one day, both politically and magically. I wanted to help him. I wanted to help him!

It would be dangerous, though. My husband was one of Voldemort's Inner Circle. He'd kill me if I ever tried to switch sides. I also had to consider that Potter was on Dumbledore's side, and I wanted nothing to do with the crazy coot. He did nothing but manipulate others for his own gain. He and Voldemort were one in the same. I could trust neither of them, but if that were so, could I trust Potter, Dumbledore's Golden Boy?

My vision faded to black again before I was able to see my dining room again. What was that? Had that actually happened? I blinked twice, somewhat in a daze. I was coming to myself when I heard footsteps coming from the basement where my sister was being held. Lucius didn't trust her at all. He found her rather insane. I couldn't blame him for doing so. I found my own sister highly unstable as well.

Rudolphus walked into the dining room appearing mildly pleased with himself. I stared him up and down while making sure I kept my face blank. He was a disgusting man, but he was also one of Lucius's partners in crime. I couldn't annoy him without possible harm.

"Can I help you, Rudolphus?" I questioned the man. Rudolphus sneered at me, and I had to remember that I wasn't fast enough in a duel to take him on, especially when he'd had large amounts of practice.

"Bella wants to see you," he responded coldly. "Tell Lucius that I'm leaving."

"Of course, Rudolphus."

I watched as he Apparated away before leaving the safety and comfort of my dining room to visit my insane sister in the dungeons beneath the house. I always detested the dungeons, but Lucius believed that they were necessary, especially for his master's cause. I'd rather the disgusting things be removed, but it is common for Lucius to never listen to me. Never.

Immediately following my opening the door leading to the dungeons, a putrid stench assaulted my sensitive nose, upsetting my more sensitive stomach. I grabbed the rail as I tried to restrain myself from vomiting over the edge of the banister. I took several deep breaths through my mouth. I winced as I tasted the disgusting air. Lucius could at least have a house elf clean the dungeons. The stench was beyond disgusting. It was nauseating.

I made the trip down without breathing through my nose. I knew that if I breathed once I reached the bottom, I would most likely lose the battle I was fighting with my stomach and my dinner. I stopped before the cell my elder sister sat in. Her clothes were in tatters and her hair was filthy. Despite this, though, my eyes instantly connected with hers, and I knew something was different about her.

"Bella?" I whispered as I approached the cell. "Is that you?" I couldn't help but ask. For years now, every time I looked into her eyes, I saw the insanity and madness compounded with a strange detachment. Now, as I gazed into my elder sister's dark eyes, I saw a sense of sanity, calm. The same eyes she had all those years ago.

Bellatrix gazed at me and smirked. "Why of course, Cissie," she responded snidely. "Why wouldn't I?" My hopes of my sister returning to me came crashing down as the look in her eyes returned to what it had been for the past couple of decades.

I sighed, suppressing the disappointment I felt. There was no point in sulking. I got down to business.


	9. Chapter 9: Andromeda Tonks

I glanced around the area before entering the Hog's Head. I couldn't believe that I'd actually snuck out of the house. I shivered in fear as I thought about what Ted would say or do when he found out that I'd come back to Hogsmeade. Fear and guilt rose up inside of me, freezing me to the spot just inside the door. Ted would kill me if he found out.

"Dromeda?" I looked up and saw my younger sister, Narcissa, standing near a table dressed in a black cloak, her hood obscuring her face from the view of everyone else around me. "Dromeda, please follow me." Narcissa headed to the stairs, and I quickly followed. It has been years since I've seen here.

We climbed the stairs to the top floor where she ushered me into one of the apartments. Inside, I stood stock still at the sight of Bellatrix sitting on the bed across from the door. She smiled at me. "Dromeda, perfect timing. Come now. It has been forever since we have chatted. Please, do sit, eat, and merry. There is much we must talk to you about." I gazed at my insane sister warily. Truthfully, she didn't sound insane. Of course, an insane person could feign sanity. She has done so several times.

"Relax, Andromeda," Narcissa said behind me as she placed a locking charm on the door before erecting a silencing ward. "We're not going to hurt you. We just wish to talk to you about some recent updates." I eyed both of my sisters warily. Bellatrix was a wanted criminal and a known Death Eater. Narcissa was the wife of a Death Eater. Both were blood purists. Despite the blood we shared, I knew that I couldn't trust them, not fully.

"Andromeda, please," Narcissa pleaded. "It will only take a moment. Come sit down. We won't harm you in any way. We are willing to make an oath on it." Narcissa? Willing to make an oath? I gazed at her in unhindered bewilderment. That was certainly new. I glanced at Bellatrix, who was nodding in agreement. Both women were willing to make an oath on not harming me. Yes, this was definitely new. Narcissa hated oaths, and the only oath Bellatrix followed was the one she made to Voldemort. Neither made oaths lightly.

I skimmed over the apartment, noting escape routes while inconspicuously grabbing my right arm just under the shoulder, checking for my wand that was in my holster. I was prepared for a fight if it came to that. Hopefully, it wouldn't.

"Alright, then," I replied. "I'll stay. No oath is necessary." Both of my sisters nodded.

I trailed Narcissa into the sitting room. Bellatrix soon arrived there. I sat on the sofa on one side of the set floor table. Narcissa and Bellatrix sat next to each other on the couch opposite of me.

"Well," I began, "what do you wish to speak to me about?"

"I wish to word this correctly, but I shall put it bluntly," Narcissa said as Bellatrix poured us tea. "I wish to change to the Grey faction." I stared at her, confused.

"Grey faction? I wasn't aware that there was one."

"There isn't," Bellatrix mumbled as she sipped her tea. "At least, not yet."

"What makes you believe that there will be a Grey faction?" Narcissa and Bellatrix shared a glance.

"Late last night, just after dinner in fact, I was fretting over where my Draco could have disappeared to when..."

"Draco has vanished?" I interrupted. Narcissa nodded.

"We are still unsure of where he is."

"You are getting off topic," Bellatrix interrupted. Narcissa nodded.

"As I was saying, I was fretting over Draco when my vision suddenly turned black before it returned; only…it was not the image of my dining room wall." I sat back, obvious surprise on my face, as well as curiosity. So, she had had the same experience as I had last night. The reason for my sore arm.

"What did you see?" I questioned, feigning ignorance.

"Harry Potter," Bellatrix replied. "He was on the floor of some room, screaming his little head off. He was bleeding all over the floor. He stopped screaming only when his fleshed was ripped off revealing…"

"Revealing another boy," Narcissa finished. "Different from Potter, but similar. Despite not personally being there, I could still the magical power the boy was exuding. It was incredible to feel. He is definitely going to be powerful when he gets older."

"He's powerful _now,_ Cissie," Bellatrix responded. "We can't wait until he is older. He needs proper guidance now. It would only make things worse if he returned to Dumbledore with that much magical energy. You know the old coot is only using him, just as he's using his Organization of the Flaming Chickens."

I stared at Bellatrix, shocked by her immature behavior. "Order of the Phoenix," I corrected. "Bella, you seem…"

"Different?" Bellatrix finished. "For the past two decades, I have been under the effects of an elongated Imperius spell. It wore off because of a high magical disturbance that happened yesterday. I believe that it has something to do with Potter."

"Bella's back, Dromeda," Narcissa whispered excitedly.

"The only problem is that my mind is stuck at seventeen with my body being several years older," Bellatrix mumbled. I stared at the woman, blinking rapidly.

"Do you truly expect me to believe that you were under an Imperius for over twenty plus years?" I questioned her, my mind in denial. "That's impossible. Whoever casted the spell on you should be dead by now. It takes up too much energy to keep an Imperius spell stable for half an hour. What makes you think that I would believe that you were under it for over twenty years?" I turned to Narcissa. "Do _you_ expect me to believe that you wish to switch sides and join _Potter_?" I shook my head. "The very notion is preposterous. "

Narcissa and Bellatrix shared a knowing glance, almost as though they knew I would deny their ridiculous claims. Bellatrix reached into the pockets of her robe and withdrew a vial before handing it out to me. "This contains enough Veritaserum to put us both under. You can check it for yourself before you decide to use it on us." I was astonished when she handed me the vial, and I took it in my hands. Before I had married Ted, I had planned on becoming a Potions Master with Narcissa, but due to the Ministry's sexist laws, it never happened. It would have worked out, anyway. Not with what Ted had planned for me.

I held the vial in one hand before using my magical energy to determine the name of the potion inside. I was surprised when _Veritaserum_ burned itself into the cork of the vial. My eyebrows rose. They were telling the truth. If they were telling the truth about the serum, then maybe everything they said was true as well. Maybe.

My morals began to rise up as I questioned whether or not to use the serum. Half of me wanted to believe them. They were my sisters, my blood. Despite all of the hell we'd gone through, I should always trust my family to tell me the truth. However, I was forced to remember my older sister attacking me at the beginning of her Death Eater career, just before she killed our father in cold blood. Not that I blamed her for killing our father. I would have done so myself. She just did it before me.

My morals lost the fight. I opened the vial and poured half of the serum into Narcissa's tea and the other half into Bellatrix's tea. "I apologize," I said to them, "but if I remember correctly, you tried to kill me, so excuse me if my trust in you is nonexistent." Bellatrix nodded before completely drinking her. Narcissa did the same.

I watched as both stiffened nearly immediately before their eyes became dull and their bodies relaxed. I almost smiled at their prone forms. I checked my tea before sipping from it after finding it free of any poisons.

"Bellatrix, were you ever under the Imperius spell for more than half an hour?" I questioned, wanting to clear that up first. Bellatrix nodded dumbly.

"For most of my life I was under the Imperius spell that Rudolphus's father cast when I was seventeen," Bellatrix replied, her voice in a dead monotone. This piqued my interest as guilt clenched inside of me.

"Why has the spell lasted for so long?"

"The marriage contract between the Blacks and the Lestranges featured an obedience clause. Hidden within that clause was a spell that maintained the Imperius curse for so long. Narcissa and I believe that the magical disturbance yesterday may have broken the spell. We are uncertain."

"Why do you wish to change sides?"

"I never wanted to a part of Voldemort's group. I'm a Slytherin. I wasn't made to serve." I couldn't help but smile at that.

"And you, Narcissa?"

"Potter is close to Sirius. There is a possibility that Sirius will be able to nullify our marriage contracts. I never wanted to marry Lucius and Bellatrix never wished to marry Rudolphus. We wish to be free from our restraints. I also wish to help the community. Wizarding Europe is disgraceful. Both sides are corrupt. No, all three sides are corrupt, and a fourth needs to come into power."

"And you believe that Potter will be able to start this new faction?"

"Not by himself, of course. My political knowledge shall help as well. He is already famous and is fairly powerful despite his lack of political knowledge. With my help, I could possibly make him more powerful than Dumbledore and Voldemort. The Ministry won't even see it coming."

I nodded in agreement with her words. Politically, Harry would have a lot of power. He does have a lot of influence, but over the summer, particularly after the recent events had Hogwarts, is influence as well as reputation has been severely tarnished, but with Narcissa by his side, he'd repair it all and rise to power. Yes, the entire plan was brilliant.

"Bella, do you have a counter for the Veritaserum?" I questioned.

"Yes."

"May I have it?" Bellatrix handed me the counter. I administered it to them and was pleased when they returned to their normal selves.

"I'm going to help you," I replied, "but only under one condition."

"Which is?" Bellatrix questioned.

"I wish to have my marriage contract nullified as well." My sisters stared at me, surprised.

"Are you not happy with your husband?" Narcissa questioned, blatantly avoiding his name. I shook his head.

"I don't think it would be possible to a nullify it," Bellatrix replied. "You eloped."

"I don't think I can stay in a relationship with Ted anymore," I responded. "I need to get away from him."

"What's happening, Dromeda?" Narcissa questioned.

I took a deep breath as fear and shame welled up inside of me. "Our honeymoon was perfect. We went to Greece. It was so much fun. That was where Nymphadora was conceived." Bellatrix nearly spat out her tea, almost gagging in disgust. She hadn't wanted to hear that. From Narcissa's expression, neither had she. "It was after the honeymoon that everything changed." I played nervously with the edge of my cloak.

Narcissa gazed at me knowingly. "He beats you, doesn't he?" My answer was a reluctant nod as a tear began to fall down my face.

"And he'll definitely hurt me if he ever finds out that I'm not at home," I cried as I wiped the tears away with my hand.

"That muggleborn bastard," Bellatrix swore, seething with anger. "How dare he put his hands on you? It's men like him that makes it difficult for me to return to tolerating muggles and Muggleborns."

"I thought he was perfect," I continued. "It took me years to figure out why my father didn't seem as angry as he normally was when I left to marry Ted."

"What are you talking about?" Narcissa questioned.

"You don't think that…" Bellatrix trailed off. I nodded at her implied statement.

"Yes. Father tricked me. He and Ted planned for me to marry into the Tonks family. Father wanted the power that my child would gain from marrying Ted. Ted wanted the money my father gave to him. Neither wanted what was best for me." I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "It was all a hoax. Father wanted to punish me for not looking like my mother, for not being like her as Bellatrix was. Because of this, I know that he had to sign a wedding contract!"

"Father was a cruel man," Bellatrix growled, "but that was low, even for him, but I can understand. He loved me and hated me for looking like his dead wife, for reminding him of the woman he could never get back. So after he used me as his plaything for years, he decided to marry me into the Lestrange family before I could gain my magical independence from him. He knew I hated the Lestranges. They were fanatical blood purists. Almost their entire family were Death Eaters. He wanted me to be like them. He wanted me to suffer for the curse of being just like Mother. Asshole."

"Yes, Father was insane until the very end," Narcissa said in a detached way. "He took my childhood away, forcing me to do…things when you girls were away at school. He blamed me for Mother's death."

"Understandable," Bellatrix stated. "She died bearing you. That didn't mean that it was specifically your fault."

"Of course. He hated me even more because I look like our grandmother. You know, his mother. Yes, I look exactly like the woman. He hated that about me. Every time he looked at me, he saw his mother. He had always hated the woman. He found it easier to take his hatred out on me. Annoyingly insane man. He married me into the Malfoy family. Mostly for the money, of course. Lucius was more than happy to have a trophy wife. Now, I believe that the man is trying to bore me to death. Father certainly was a cruel, evil man. He went insane after Mother died."

"They were both insane, even when Druella was alive," Bellatrix snapped. "They both attempted, and failed, to stuff that blood purity crap down our throats. Ignorant fools. We're killing off the wizarding race if we continue down the road we are heading. Blood purity will lead to inbreeding. Too much inbreeding will lead to squibs. What this corrupted society needs to find is a middle way and to stop worrying about muggleborns or half bloods and the magical creatures which aren't doing a thing to us."

"I agree," Narcissa responded. "We spend too much time on everything else and not on the government and such."

"So we turn to Potter for help?" I questioned.

"We turn to Sirius," Narcissa answered. "He's Lord Black now that he is the only living Black left. He's the only one that can nullify the contracts. We have to convince him to do so."

"Sirius doesn't like us," Bellatrix stated turning to me, "but you are his favorite cousin."

"Sirius is in hiding, though!" I shouted. "He can't come in to public view unless he wants to receive the Kiss!"

Bellatrix and Narcissa frowned at that.

"Our last hope is Harry Potter, then."

"But how do I come in contact with him?" I questioned. "Dumbledore will certainly have his Golden Boy locked up somewhere safe. I could speak to Dumbledore, but the man is so cryptic that it's frustrating getting a straight answer from him. He will also wish to know why I am looking for Potter. He's also a known Legilimens. I won't be able to talk to him without him finding out what's going on and stopping me."

We stared at each other in silence, our plans backfiring on us before we even get them started. I began to feel as though the entire thing was useless. I would be stuck with Ted forever, Narcissa would live her life as a trophy wife, and Bellatrix would most likely be killed for betraying her master. All seemed lost, a failure.

"We'll figure it out," Narcissa finally replied, snapping me from my thoughts. "We have time left."

"We could probably catch Potter before he returned to school," Bellatrix mumbled underneath her breath, catching our attention. "We could possibly confront him at school, but Dumbledore would be around, but that is our best plan."

"I think that we should think about it more before deciding what to do," Narcissa stated. "But for now, Dromeda, you shall remain here. Ted would most likely kill you if you returned home. I don't want to lose neither of my sisters. I would have you both remain here, but Rudolphus would get suspicious, so for now, Andromeda, you shall be rooming here under the assumed name Anya Dion for you safety." I nodded in agreement. I already knew that I wouldn't be returning home to my husband and daughter. Nymphadora would hopefully understand why.

"All right," I responded. "It's fine with me. I could possibly go out under a glamour and find out information."

"That is a good idea," Bellatrix said, "but do be careful. I shall have some rookie Death Eaters do the same while I remain in hiding. I'll lie and tell them that Voldemort had assigned them this mission."

"Are you sure that will work?" I questioned. Bellatrix shrugged her shoulder.

"It's going to be my twentieth time doing it," she responded. "I've made sure each time that the rookies didn't remember a thing after they completed my mission. It won't be too hard to do it again."

"Be careful, Bella," I told her.

"We will find out where Potter is and try to request a meeting with him," Narcissa said, her voice hard with determination. "That I will personally make sure of."

"And if he refuses?" Bella questioned.

"I'll make the request," I responded. "He might know Nymphadora by now since she joined the Order of the Phoenix. He might trust me."

"Alright, then. Now, have you heard what has been happening at Hogwarts ever since Potter started? I swear that boy is bad luck, yet he always seems to come out of it alive. The only fatality was last year during the Tournament." With that, we were thrust into a conversation about Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Both Narcissa and Bellatrix knew a great deal about the boy, but since their husbands – and themselves if you count Bella – were Death Eaters, it doesn't surprise me much that they know so much about him, considering the fact that Voldemort is the one after him.

After a two hour long conversation on the child, my sister left the apartment, cloaked with a spell on their hoods obscuring their faces. Suddenly, I was all alone again.

* * *

Trust me. The Black Sisters' appearances will make sense in the near future. *pauses and looks over the chapter* Wow. I think this is my longest chapter.


	10. Chapter 10: Takuya

The next morning was horrifying as well as exciting in its own way. I awoke with a throbbing headache, feeling as though I had a hangover. I sat up, groaning as my stiff muscles voiced their disdain towards any movement. I had kinks and knots everywhere. I searched for my glasses before snatching them from the nightstand. Slipping them on after lighting a candle, I froze. My vision was blurry. I removed my glasses and stared forward. My eye sight was clear. For a moment, I briefly considered that the twins had did something to my prescription before everything that had happened hours before came rushing back to me. The glamour had been removed.

I leapt from my bed and dashed to the bathroom where I lit a lamp and stared at myself in the mirror. I was met with the image of the reflection I had saw the night before, only this time, this was actually me. I stood at almost six feet tall, if I wasn't there already. My skin was a healthy cream. My bone structure was sharper, giving me a princely look and build. My eyes weren't like what I'd seen in my reflections, though. They were a vibrant purple, and the pupils were nearly invisible slits in the sea of violet.

I looked over my body, playing with my long black hair. I noted that it reached the small of my back, but gave it little thought. I didn't want to cut. Not yet, anyway. My eyes fell onto my unmarked skin and a feeling of relief washed over me. The scars were gone. Every mark that had been made from years of abuse was no longer on my skin. At that thought, my hands rushed to my forehead. My eyes widened, and I stumbled back against the bathroom wall. It was gone. The scar, my most famous one, was gone. My lightning bolt scar was gone!

My body went numb on the ground as the realization forced me to remember something else. I was no longer Harry Potter. My life as him had ended. I was no longer the Wizarding World's savior. I no longer had to worry about Voldemort. At that thought, my good mood deflated. I still had to worry about Voldemort. I couldn't live with myself if I just let him run around killing people. He needed to be killed, and I wanted to stop it.

I gave up looking at myself. It caused me to think too much, and I needed to get my mind off such things. It was summer break. I needed to learn to relax. I decided to take a nice long shower. I allowed the hot water to wash away my previous thoughts and replace them with more enthusiastic ones. I was too pessimistic for my own good.

After the shower, I returned to my room and found a white button up with a pair of khaki slacks waiting on my bed with a pair of underwear. I glanced around, suspicion bubbling up inside of me. Realizing that I was all alone and paranoid, I dressed before dealing with my hair. Several disastrous minutes later, I simply tied it back in a low ponytail as I had seen my reflections do before me.

A knock resounded from the front door as I stood in the kitchen fixing myself some breakfast. I turned the flame down on the stove before answering the door. Not to my surprise it was Validore and the others, who I respectfully let in.

"Merlin's ghost! You can cook?" one of the newly released twins questioned as the smell of waffles hit his nose. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, duh," I responded dully. "I was the Dursleys' servant for over fifteen years of my life. I can cook gourmet meals if I felt like it. Don't worry, though. I have enough for all of us… Hopefully. If not, Draco just won't eat." Draco gazed coldly at me.

"Why, aren't you sweet," he replied with blatant sarcasm.

"Now, now, we are not here to eat," Validore stated. "We are here to talk about your futures. Before we do so, I must tell you now that for some time, you six shall be forced to remain together. Because of this, I believe that it would be best that you get over your foolish rivalries. To start, you shall introduce yourselves as you truly are, and tell us what you learned from the letters from your parents." This gained an immediate response from Draco.

"Why are you forcing us to divulge such private information to each other?" he questioned.

"Because your parents were all close friends," Validore responded. "I believe that they wanted their children to have a similar relationship with each other." Draco frowned at this, though I wasn't much happier with it either. I didn't want to be friend with Draco, even if my life was on the line.

"I really don't agree with this," I replied before running into the kitchen, just in time to stop the waffles from burning.

"Mr. Potter, this really isn't the time to be cooking," Validore called to me.

"The waffles were burning," I replied as I placed them on a plate. "If any of you want to eat, come and get it while it's fresh." My kitchen was suddenly crowded with Weasleys. I smirked when Draco followed Neville into the kitchen. "Help yourself, Draco. It won't kill you. If that were the case, my relatives would be dead by now. No, Ron, I would never poison them. If I were going to kill them, I would do it with my own hands, wandless." Ron shut his mouth and returned to piling his plate. "And save some food for everyone else!" He froze, dropped the fork, and walked away with his plate and a cup of orange juice.

"You sounded like Mum," one of the twins noted. I pointed to him. "I'm Fred." I nodded.

"I want to eat, too," I responded. "So don't eat all of the bacon! I don't even know why I cooked waffles, anyway. I'm not going to eat them. The syrup is behind you, Neville. Don't knock over the juice, Draco. Chew your food, Ron! It's not going to bloody disappear!" The twins burst out laughing.

"You _do _sound like Mum!" George exclaimed as he laughed.

"Exactly like her," his twin agreed. I glared at them.

"More eating. Less talking. Especially before the food in front of you decides to disappear!" They went back to eating immediately. I turned to the others in my kitchen. "Don't eat all of the bacon, Neville! Draco! Didn't I tell you to _not _knock over the juice! RON, SLOW DOWN BEFORE YOU CHOKE!" Of course, he would decide to start choking when I said that. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU!" I glared at the twins who were failing at hiding their laughter. Even Neville and Draco were gazing at me, amused at my antics. I was about to tell them off before I caught something out the corner of my eye. "RON, YOU CAN'T HAVE SECONDS! OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO EAT! I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER!"

"You sure sound like it!" he snapped. He came face to face with the bottom of a pan. The clang that followed resounded throughout the kitchen. Everyone stared at me as I casually put the pot back in its place, fixed my plate full of mostly protein items – eggs, sausages, bacon, more eggs, more sausages, and even more bacon – and sat down at the table and began to eat. I ignored their shocked stares.

Fred and George shared a glance before looking at their dazed younger brother before sharing yet another look and shrugging. "He deserved it," they announced, and the chaos of breakfast began anew.

Alright, even I have to admit, I was acting like someone's mother, but I _had _cooked breakfast for them. The least they could do was not be greedy, which caused me to raise my voice again. "RON! IF YOU SO MUCH AS _LOOK _AT THE FOOD OVER HERE AGAIN, I WILL KNOCK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU WITH THAT FRYING PAN!" That, of course, sent the entire table into hysterics, me included, after I'd calmed down enough to realize how insane I sounded. This time with them was what I needed. It really was. Not once during that entire breakfast was my mind on the change. I enjoyed that. It was a lot of fun, even despite the fact that I screamed myself hoarse yelling at Ron to stop eating so fast or so much. Yeah, it was definitely something that I enjoyed. I never really had the experience of a energetic breakfast. I was always locked in some room with the Dursleys'. This was definitely the type of change I needed.

After the chaotic breakfast, we sat back at the table, full, drinking either orange juice, tea, or coffee in my case. The sink was filled with dishes that I would clean later. Right now, I just wanted to relax.

"This would be a splendid time to introduce yourselves to each other," Validore announced, taking us by surprise. We had completely forgotten he was here amidst the chaos.

We glanced at each other. I sighed. "I'll guess I'll go first then." I rolled my eyes. "Okay. Um…" I didn't know where to start. "My name is Takuya Takahashi. My parents are Izayoi Takahashi and Haruo Takahashi." I paused. I tapped my fingers along the cup I was gripping. "My parents are the Lord and Lady of the Realm of the Legends, which makes me a prince. I'm heir to the throne, but my parents sent me here because I absorbed something known as the Dark Soul which turned me into a shadow elemental. Not only that but I'm a werewolf-vampire hybrid because my twin and I merged while still in the womb. That's why two reflections showed up when I was standing in front of the mirror. Um… I guess I have siblings. My mom didn't mention it in the letter." I paused again. "Oh, and I'm three years older than you all." That got a reaction.

"What? Why?" Ron questioned, almost as though he had ignored everything else I'd said.

"I was four when my parents sent me away, but they could only add a year of memories to everyone's memories, so this sorceress placed me under a glamour making me younger than I really was."

"So you're a werewolf _and _a vampire?" Neville questioned. I nodded. "That's a very weird mixture. That would mean that one of your parents was a vampire while the other was a wolf, right?" I nodded again.

"My mom was the vamp, my father the wolf."

"Shadow elemental? Really?"

"Less questions, please. I need to speak with you about something afterwards," Validore stated, stopping me from replying.

We sat in silence for a moment before Draco rolled his eyes. "If none of you are going to say anything, then I will." I watched as he cleared his throat, probably for dramatics, most likely for the dry toast he ate earlier. "My name is Gabriel Yoshikawa. My parents are Michael Yoshikawa and Ariana Yoshikawa, the King and Queen of Alianorè, the Angel realm. My dad didn't say if I had siblings, but he said that I should try to live up to my name and to also get in touch with my cousin Azazel so that we can keep good relations between the Risen and the Fallen, whatever that means." He, however, was too busy shrugging off his own statement to notice Ron turn a lovely shade of white.

"Are you alright, Ron?" I questioned when his jaw dropped. He shook his head rapidly.

"Uh, no! _My _name is Azazel! Azazel Ishikawa. My parents are Lilith Ishikawa and Azrael Ishikawa. I'm heir to the throne of Direlore, and I'm not sure if I have siblings or not, either. I'm one of the Fallen. I can't believe I'm _related_ to _you_!" Ron and Draco stared at each other in horror.

"What's the Fallen?" I asked.

"The Fallen and the Risen are two types of angels," Validore responded. "The Fallen are the angels that fell from heaven and decided not to return, which turned their wings a solid black. The Risen are those that fell from heaven as well, but returned, causing their wings to turn white after the transition. They were intended to be mortal enemies, but seeing as the two heads of the species are brothers, both angelic races are in a state of peace. I believe that they intended for you to be friends in order to prevent a war between the two. A war would just annihilate both species, so they're trying to keep the peace at all costs."

"So, in other words, the fate of both angel races fall on our shoulders," Draco questioned. Validore nodded. "Now I see how Potter feels." I shrugged.

"Mr. Longbottom, why don't you go next?" Neville scowled at the suggestion.

"My story is complicated," he responded. "Um, my name is Angelico Tokiha. My parents are Jericho Tokiha and Maria Praylisian-Tokiha. I'm the heir to the throne of Varity, what is known as the Royal Realm."

"That's not complicated," Ron stated, which earned him a glare.

"I'm not done yet. It's complicated because… Um, Harry, how did they explain the disappearance of dinosaurs in the Muggle realm."

"An asteroid fell from space and caused a domino effect," I responded. "Why?"

"Well, that asteroid that fell from space…that was me. As it turns out, each star in the sky is represented by a being in the Spacial Realm. I represent the star Rastaban in the constellation Draco." He paused, staring at Draco. "Anyway, when a star is born, the baby remains in its star form until it is able to take on a human appearance and leave its star in the sky. However, something happened which pushed me from orbit and caused me to crash land on Earth some six million years ago. Wait, sixty-five million years ago. In actuality, I'm the oldest among you guys, but my parents were time skipping when they found me, so I really am only fifteen."

We sat in silence, staring at the boy. "Wow," was about all I could get out. "I don't think that anyone can top that. But wait, if your parents aren't your parents, then who are your real parents?"

"Sirius and Saiph," was the response. "Both male, if you're wondering. They sent me a letter with the Tokihas. I plan on writing back sooner or later. Rastaban is my birth name as well, but I'll just stick with Angelico."

"Rastaban means the serpent's head," Validore stated. "It's ironic since the constellation it is part of is a dragon." Neville nodded.

"Amazing," I mumbled. "So this is really what you look like?" Neville shook his head.

"I'm not sure what I look like. Saiph told me as soon as I turn a million, I'll be full grown, but with the weirdness of the time travel, he and Sirius aren't sure about whether or not I'm full grown now, or if I will have to wait. They've been missing their son for sixty five million years, but I've only been alive for fifteen, so it's hard to say if I can change or not. I'd have to return to Tractus."

"Isn't that Latin?"

"Yep."

Validore cleared his throat. "Young twins, it is your turn to share."

Fred and George frowned at each other. "Um, our names are weird," Fred responded. "Our last names, anyway. Can't really pronounce them."

"Sakurazaki," Validore stated. George raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, that's it," he responded. "I'm Damen Sakurazaki. He's Damien. Our parents are Roderick and Zinnia Sakurazaki. We don't have siblings. Um, we're the heirs to Bakurakaido. I think I pronounced that correctly. We're youko."

"What's a youko?" I asked.

"To put it simply, a youko is a spirit fox," Validore replied. "It's a being highly revered in Japanese culture, worshipped almost as a god. They are known for their strong supernatural energy, and the ability to create fox fire."

"If they're foxes, then why do they look human?" Draco questioned.

"Every one of you has a human form, to blend in," Validore responded.

"So we look like this to blend in?" I questioned. Validore nodded.

"Well, now that the introductions are finished, I believe that it is time for you six to receive your inheritance. Your parents placed a lot of money and other items here for you when you became of age. You have many vaults and now is the time for you to look through them. Before that, however, we must find out exactly what you own as well as receive your family rings."

"We have family rings?" Draco questioned, placing a stray strand of blond hair behind his ear. "I thought our families were from different realms."

"That may be the case, but your parents have been to Wizarding London before. In fact, they attended Hogwarts." That was a shocker. Our parents had attended the very school that we were attending. Was it possible that their headmaster had been Dumbledore as well?

"Who was their headmaster at the time?" I questioned, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Albus, of course, however, they weren't sorted into any of the well known houses. When Hogwarts was created, there were five houses instead of four, but the fifth house was a specialty house for the supernatural creatures. If none came to Hogwarts, then the house would remain empty, and thus nonexistent."

"What was that house?"

"The Silverbacks. It was named after the Silverback twins, Celeste and Noble, who were both veela. There is a possibility that they are still alive, as they were pureblooded veela. However, if they are, they are nowhere to be found. That is beside the point, though. Please follow me to my office. The inheritance test will only take a second."

Validore ushered us out of my chambers without another word. After yet another cart ride from hell, we returned to the corridors where we were ushered into his office. During the trip, he stated that it would be best if we got used to calling each other by our real names, which sparked an argument between Draco and Neville – er – Gabriel and Angelico about Angelico's real name, which was Rastaban, though he preferred Angelico. Lucky, it ended before it could escalate into something bigger, though I doubt it would have ever gotten any worse.

Validore had us sit before his desk before placing a sheet of parchment before us. I picked up the paper, flipping it over curiously, as I checked it. "What is this?"

"These are for your inheritance tests," the goblin responded as he removed a sharp dagger from his desk. "You are to prick your finger with this dagger. Make sure to get a drop of blood on the parchment. The parchment is spelled to analyze your blood and find the vaults in which your family owns." He handed the dagger to me. I grasped the hilt in my hand, which immediately began to tingle on contact as a buzzing sound erupted in my ears. My magic was literally abuzz, trying to recognize the familiar blade.

"This dagger," I whispered. "It's familiar. My magic recognizes it." Validore seemed surprised by the notion.

"Hmm, a goblin said that he found it on the floor before one of the negative numbered vaults. There is a possibility that it belonged to your family and was dropped." I nodded, my magic finally settling. Yes, I or rather, my magic definitely recognized the dagger as my own. I unsheathed it, marveling at the immaculate and sparkling blade. I gently pressed my thumb to the tip and was not surprised when it cut through my skin as though it were wet tissue paper. I passed the knife to Ron – er – Azazel as I watched the blood drip from my thumb to the paper before me. The blood settled on the paper before disappearing. The parchment lay blank before writing began to emerge on its surface.

_Takuya Takahashi_

_Father: Haruo Takahashi_

_Mother: Izayoi Takahashi_

_Lord to the Forgotten House of Takahashi and all accompanied vaults_

_Lord to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter and all accompanied vaults_

_Lord to the Forgotten House of Peverell and all accompanied vaults_

_Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black_

I skimmed the paper, interested in several names. Why was I the heir to the Black family? Had Sirius done something to make me his heir? The Peverell house was what worried me the most. I didn't recall ever learning or hearing any family by that name.

"So, Mr. Takahashi, you are heir to several vaults as well as stocks your families have bought and vacation homes. Would you like a list?" I nodded numbly as a plan began to formulate in my mind. I was heir to several vacation homes which meant that I necessarily didn't have to remain at the Dursleys' residence for much longer. I smirked to myself as I formulated a plan. I could quickly get in the Dursleys' home while they were away, grab my stuff, get out, and flee the country. Yes, that was a good plan, but would I could I really leave Wizarding Britain just like that? Could I really leave helpless, though far from innocent, people to fend for themselves against Voldemort?

I paused in my train of thoughts, my eyes still resting on the paper. What was I thinking? Why not? It wasn't my job to kill the old windbag. It wasn't my fault that he'd come back in the first place. It was Dumbledore's. If the old coot had just killed him when he had a chance, my life as Harry Potter would have been normal. I would have been raised by two loving parents instead of with those people, but that thought only made me return to the present. Would I have been willing to give up that near perfect life for the one I was about to live now? Would I have wanted to know my real parents? I most likely would have. I doubt anyone would just want to return to their original lives if they knew that their parents were fakes. My mind went back to the day before yesterday, when I had been freaking about this stuff. I suppose I was right to be so reluctant to change my life. I was just figuring myself out, and now I had to do it all over again. Perfect.

"Har- um – Takuya," Azazel called, stumbling over his words. His voice brought me back. I turned and found myself staring up into the loveliest green eyes I had ever seen. Before I could respond, Azazel said, "You seemed out of it. You okay?" I nodded quickly. It was a lie, though. I was conflicted. I wonder if he could tell.

"I'm fine, really," I responded. "Um, you know, your name is a… your name is a mouth full. I think I'll just call you…" I paused, running over ways to shorten his name in my mind. "…Ace. Yeah. That's better. Ace." Ace rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. Azazel. Ace. They sound similar enough."

"If you're going to shorten my name, might as well shorten everyone else's." He had a good point. I nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I've already got it. Gabriel is going to be Gabe for now on. I can't shorten the twins' names… Wait, I can, but only Damien's, and I don't want to. Angelico can be… Angel? No, it's too obvious. Uh… How about…" I paused, trying to think. How could I shorten Angelico's name any further. Coco? No, that was too girly. Ang? No, too girly, too. Well, I couldn't call him Gelly… My train of thought stopped on that one. Gelly. "Gelly." Ace stared at me. "Hey, I like it. It's perfect. Angelico is Gelly now. Gelly, Ace, Gabe, Damien, Damon, and…Taku." The others rolled their eyes at my antics, but I ignored them, turning back to my parchment.

"Is it possible to transfer all of my assets from one account to another?" I questioned Validore, not looking up as a plan formulated in my mind.

"Yes, it is possible, Mr. Takahashi," Validore replied as he removed a stack of papers from his desk. "Under which name would you like for me to transfer them to?"

"Takahashi." Validore nodded, scribbling something on one paper and going through the others.

"What times is it?" Ace questioned out of the blue. Validore absentmindedly casted a tempus charm.

"Half past ten," was his response.

"The date?"

"The second of August." Ace groaned, running his hands down his face.

"Mum must be worried as hell," he mumbled to himself. I raised an eyebrow. He was thinking of Molly Weasley? He was thinking of how his former mother was reacting to everything? I frowned, but the thought of Molly Weasley did remind me that there were a lot of people who I would be leaving behind for this new life.

"My grandmother must be worried sick about me," Gelly whispered.

"You say this as though you're going back," Gabe responded coldly. "I don't think we can turn back at this point."

"Turning back is not an option," Validore stated as he placed a stack of papers in front of me and began to direct me in signing them. I knew better than to sign without reading the fine print, though. "You cannot turn back from your fates now, however, you may need to return to your previous homes, though. I haven't been able to come into contact with the sorceress who sent you here. I am unable to send you back to your original realms myself. There aren't any spells on dimensional jumping."

"So, in other words, until you come in contact with this woman, we can't return to our original homes?" Gabe questioned. Validore nodded as he pointed for me to sign in the middle of the fifth page. "Unbelievable. So we're just supposed to return home like this? How will we explain this to our parents?"

"I'm not telling Mum," Damien stated, shaking his head. "She'd freak out. Three of her sons aren't really hers. I'd rather her be happy believing that we were her children instead of telling her the truth and be forced to realize that we're not hers."

"I'm more worried about what my grandmother would do," Gelly mumbled.

"My dad would kill me," Gabe stated, and I knew by the coldness of his words that he was serious.

"My relatives would just think of me as even more of a freak. Can't we just replace the glamour?" I questioned as I signed the last line. Validore nodded as he collected the papers.

"Yes, wear another glamour, but it would be easily detectable among high ranking and experience wizards. You would certainly need something powerful to cover your appearance again without making it as sticky and painful to remove as your original one. It will have to be undetectable like the other. Hmm. I'm pretty sure that I have the spell work here." As he went through the paper, I noted that Damien and Damen were busy conversing between themselves. What they were talking about, I had no clue. They were whispering too low for me to hear and were too close together for me to read lips.

Validore sighed, gaining my attention again. "It shall be a moment before I am able to find the paper with the spell work on it. Why don't you all just go and visit your vaults while I search. I think that that would be most appropriate." He became silent again. I stared at the old goblin.

"If that your way of saying 'Get out'?" I questioned.

"Most definitely so, Mr. Takahashi." I chuckled, shaking my head as I rose from my seat.

"Come on. Let's go check out our vaults. I want to see just how rich I am." That earned a sneer from Gabe, which looked rather misplaced on his angelic face.

"I somehow expected that you would say that, Takahashi," he stated, following behind me. I didn't miss how the twins stayed a little behind us, still conversing between themselves. What could they possibly be talking about so animatedly? It was a mystery that I hoped they would reveal sooner or later.

* * *

I'm still trying to figure out whether Takuya is basically my character now that he's not Harry anymore. I believe that since he has an entirely new name and background, that qualifies on making him mine, right? Maybe I should right a story with him that doesn't involve the Harry Potter universe. Oh wait, I am, though the story still qualifies as a fanfiction.

Before I forget, I'm currently working on a multiverse crossover between both anime and cartoons. Would anyone be willing to check it out?


	11. Chapter 11

The trip to the vaults was nerve racking and nauseating. How could anyone stand to ride in those damned carts? I left my cart to stand before the Potter vault. The door to it was decidedly larger than the one the Potters had left me for schooling. Using the key Validore had given me, the large door opened, and I walked into the vault.

Upon entrance, I was forced to blink several times due to the brightness of all of the galleons in the vault. As my eyes adjusted, I couldn't help but stare in awe at all of the money my parents – the Potters had accumulated over the years. I began to walk around the vault, passing the mounds of gold as I went. The vault was particularly large, most likely due to a transfiguration spell. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face when I noted the gold and red color scheme of the vault. The Potters were definitely Gryffindors.

As I walked further towards the back, the piles of gold disappeared, books taking their place. I was surprised by the sheer amount of books that were stored here. I hadn't realized that the Potters were readers. I walked through the library, passing rows and rows of books before ending up at the back wall. I was surprised at what I found.

Hanging from the wall, side by side, were two portraits. One was of Lily Evans, and the other was of James Potter. I stared at the portraits, noticing that they weren't moving. They were probably frozen. Now what was that spell again? It was –magus something… I looked up when I remembered.

"Vitimagus," I recited. I took a step back when I saw the portraits move. I hadn't even pulled out my wand yet! The thought of wandless magic came to the forefront of my mind. I'd figure out more about it later. For now, I wanted to speak to my parents – the Potters.

I watched as Lily and James stretched in their frames. I pulled up a chair from one of the many tables spread around the library section of the vault. Lily looked so young, possibly only twenty, which I'm sure she was when she died. Her long hair was auburn in color, and her eyes were an eerie green, similar to my own – or rather, Harry's. It was becoming frustrating to split myself into two different people when I've only been Takuya Takahashi for a day or so.

James looked just like me – Harry. The only difference was the brown eyes that gazed at me through the glasses. Both he and Lily looked surprised to see me when they finally noticed my presence.

"Haruo! Is that really you?" James questioned, cleaning his glasses as he gazed down at me. I blinked, surprised. Did I look that much like my real father that they couldn't tell that I wasn't him?

Lily shook her head as she gazed down at me, smiling sweetly. "James, no," she replied to her husband. "This isn't Haruo. Hello Harry, or rather, Takuya, yes?" I nodded. James turned from his wife to me and back again.

"My word! You look just like your father!" he exclaimed. "I suppose that would mean that you're fifteen, now, huh?" I nodded again, basking in the joy of being able to talk to them.

"What all do you two remember?" I questioned them. Lily thoughtfully looked towards her husband's portrait.

"Well, if I remember correctly, it was the day before your first birthday as Harry that we came and had our portraits magicked." She noted my silence as I nodded. "We're not alive, are we?" I shook my head.

"You both died on the Halloween after my birthday trying to protect me from Voldemort," I replied, earning shocked stares from them. "He came in, killed James first, then Lily, before attempting to kill me, only to have the Killing Curse flung back at him." I snorted morbidly. "I've always been a lucky kid, even though most of the people around me aren't as lucky."

"Oh, Takuya, don't think like that!" Lily scolded, surprising me. "You have the luck of your parents, that's all. And we died to save you! Don't be angry with yourself for something that isn't your fault."

"I'm sure your parents would have killed us if we'd left you to die, anyway," James replied. "Haruo and Izayoi did have rather…violent tempers while we were in school, no?"

"They destroyed the entire Great Hall one afternoon when they got into an argument with each other," Lily reminisced. "It took the teachers a week to repair the damage, and we had to be served breakfast, lunch, and dinner in our common rooms. Of course, they were both held in detention for the rest of the school year. We were all second years, if I recall correctly."

"You do. Both were extremely powerful at such a young age. Some parents wondered why they weren't expelled after that, but Dumbledore managed to scare them by simply asking whether they'd want such powerful magic, uncontrolled among them during the year. No one asked after that."

I laughed at that. "My parents were really powerful for second years. Was it because of their being a werewolf and a vampire?" Both nodded.

"Yes, but most likely due to the fact that ever since they were young, they'd been taught to summon their magic at a whim when angry, a defense mechanism that they were told to grow of as they grew older," Lily responded. "But yes, they were extremely powerful. Izzy was my best friend during school as well as my rival."

I raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Izzy?" What an amusing nickname. Lily blushed and stumbled over an explanation.

"Izayoi was such a mouth full, so I would call her Izzy for short," she responded. I couldn't help but smile.

"How are the others getting along with their new lives?" James questioned, earning a surprise look from myself. "We know the truth about them. After all, we did graduate with their parents. Has Neville found out about his birth parents? I was shocked when Jerry told me that his parents were two stars. Two _male _stars."

"It was rather shocking, though I would have been more surprised if he had been born a girl," Lily remarked.

"I remember the look on Sirius's face when I told him that Angel's father was the _star _Sirius. It was hilarious." James laughed at the memory, wiping away a fake tear. I snorted.

"That is rather amusing. You call him Angel? It's Gelly. We already have two angels. We don't need another one." I paused and gazed up at them. "I wish I could talk to you in person. I wonder if I could take your portraits with me…"

"Well, I do have a bottomless bag somewhere in this mess of books and gold," James stated. "I'm pretty sure the goblins would let you take us if you pleased." I nodded, though I was thinking more on seeing them in person than on paintings. Was it possible to bring someone back to life?

Suddenly, a thought ran through my head. Voldemort had recreated his body by doing a ritual. Was it possible to do the same? All I needed was a lingering soul, but I knew that the Potters had passed on. My gaze flew up to the portraits again, where the Potters stood watching me curiously. Was it possible to take the memories they'd left from their portraits and recreate their souls from them?

"I recognize that look," Lily remarked, snapping me from my thoughts. "Izzy and Haruo would both get that look when they were about to do something dangerous or illegal. What are you thinking about?" I was tempted to tell her, but just smiled. I needed more information if I wanted to try to recreate them.

"It's nothing, I promise. I'm not even sure if it's illegal or not." Lily scowled.

"When you're not sure, it probably is." James snorted.

"I say go for it. As long as it's not dark."

"James, _he's _dark. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, yes, that's right. Well, just as long as you don't get caught."

"Don't encourage him!" I chortled as I watched the two bicker lovingly back and forth. I turned from them to the library behind me.

"James, what exactly do you have in this library?" I questioned as I left my chair to look through the shelves of books. James snorted behind me.

"It all depends on what you're looking for, kiddo. This library was started by Godric Gryffindor himself. Well, actually, this particular library was started by my great-grandfather. The library Godric started is in Godric Hollows. I'm not completely sure where, though." I nodded as I looked over some book before finding on in particular.

I removed the book from its place on the shelf and looked it over. It was black with silver engravings on the binding, front, and back covers. The engravings were all familiar to me even though I knew that they weren't in English or any other language I'd ever seen. No, that was wrong. After inspecting the book further, I found why the engravings looked so familiar. They were Greek. Ancient Greek, in fact. What was Potter doing with a book written in Greek?

I turned it to the front cover and noticed the clasp on it. It was like a diary with its own lock. I knew that attempting to pry it open would do me no good, so I turned the book over and tried to find the key. After a moment, I noticed that the binding was loose. Gently peeling what I guessed to be leather from the pages, I saw a small piece of paper stuck between the binding and the glue. I removed the slip of paper and unfolded it. Written in Greek was the word τεμέτω.

I turned back towards the portraits and walked over to them. I held up the book to James. "What's with the Greek book? Do you know what's inside of it?" James motioned me to come closer. He analyzed the book and had me turn it at every angle.

"I vaguely remember trying to open the book when I was younger," he mumbled. "Could bet the blasted thing, open, though. I tried looking for a key, but that didn't work. I found a piece of paper, but could read it. You know Greek?"

"Vaguely," I replied, "though I don't know how I came into contact with the dead language."

"Greek is a very powerful language, Takuya," Lily stated. "Saying a Latin spell in Greek increases the power of it. For what reason, no one is sure, though it is theorized that the Greeks were the ones who originally created the spells." I hummed softly to myself, staring at the slip of paper.

"T…" I began, but stopped, the other letter confusing me. I would need to do a translation spell or find a Greek dictionary. This was going to be difficult, but I liked a challenge.

I left the portraits to chat among themselves before going through the bookshelves again. Once again, I found a second book, white with gold engravings, hidden amongst the books. It too had a lock and after checking the binding, it also had a Greek work for its password, τύκος.

I stared at the paper. "T…Tukoc?" I mumbled to myself. I walked back to the portraits. "Tukos?" I gasped when the lock clicked and the book opened itself to me. I stared in shock. I'd pronounced it right. I slipped the paper back into the binding before paging through the book.

"You opened it?" James questioned, surprised. "Wait, that's not the same book." I nodded before frowning as I paged through the book. Almost everything was in Ancient Greek, other than a few Latin spells. I either would need to learn to speak and read the language or find a good translation spell, but even as I thought this, I felt the magic pouring from the book, and I knew that there was going to be an issue when it came to translating.

"Hmm…Tukos… that's Ancient Greek," Lily mumbled to herself, gaining my attention. "Hmm… If I'm not mistaken, that roughly translates to lightning." I stared at the woman.

"You speak Ancient Greek?" I questioned. She shook her head, smiling.

"Oh, no. Nothing of the sort. I just know that because of a spell that I tried when I was still in school. It didn't work…at all. It took too much magic, and I ended up spending an entire weekend in the Hospital Wing due to magical exhaustion."

"What was the spell?" I questioned. Lily gazed at me thoughtfully, though I was certain that she wasn't looking at me at all.

"It was a long incantation for the spell, though the actual spell was Dios Tukos," she replied. "Yes, that's about right." I gazed at her for a moment before paging through the book. I'd seen something that looked rather similar to how that spell sounded. That's when I came across it in the middle of the book. Dios Tukos, or rather, Δίος τύκος. I gazed at the spell and smirked. This was a spell book.

I closed the white book, allowing it to lock back, before grabbing its opposite and reading its password. Τεμέτω. What could that mean? How do I pronounce it?

I briefly casted a tempus charm after noticing that I had been in the vault for a long period of time. It was an hour or so after I'd first ventured in. I cursed loudly, earning a scolding from Lily and a laugh from James. With James instructions, I grabbed a deep red backpack. He'd stated that it was enchanted to be bottomless, so I said goodbye to them before refreezing their portraits and placing them into the bag along with the books. I headed to my next vault.

As I was about to step into my cart, I was surprised to find Ace there waiting. He smiled at me, waving. "You'd be surprised what my parents have in their vault," he remarked as I stepped in. "Hell, I've never seen that much gold in my life. I'm fucking rich." I couldn't help but stare up at the taller boy. Ron hadn't been much for cursing, but Ace seemed like a natural at it. Was his personality changing?

"Did you grab anything?" I questioned as I showed him my bag. He reached into his pocket and showed me a shrunken trunk.

"My old man left a list for me with my letter. I grabbed everything on it before grabbing a lot of gold and heading back to the goblin's office." He smiled. "Only problem is that you came out before I could get there." I smiled apologetically at him, but he just shook his head. "So where to next?"

"Well, I was heading to the Takahashi vaults…" I began.

"Then let's go."

The goblin driving the cart dropped us off at my real parent's vaults. The large door opened upon my touch, showing me nothing but gold again. I noticed how Ace's jaw dropped as we entered the vault. I ignored the large piles of galleons, or I would have if I hadn't remembered that I'd forgotten to fill my bag will galleons while in the Potter vault. I removed the bag from my pocket and began pouring galleons into it without a care. Might as well go shopping after I leave, anyway.

After filling up my bag, I travelled to the back of the vault, searching for anything useful. I noted two swords that looked extremely useful and deadly. Its sheath was pure black, and the entire sword was lying on the ground discarded. Its handle was made of woven material that alternated between red and black while remaining mostly black. Its hand guard was a black metal Buddha symbol. Coming from the tip of the handle was a long chain half-link.

I picked the sword up from the ground, examining it, though I didn't know what I was looking for. I suddenly recognized the symbol and wanted to throw it down, but stopped myself from doing so. It was a swastika, the symbol used by the Nazis earlier this century. I held the blade with disgust before I went through my mind, scouring for the information that I needed to make myself keep the blade in my hand. The swastika was once a Buddhist symbol that meant good luck long, _long_ before the Nazis turned it into what it is known for now. I gripped the blade tightly. The sword was made before World War II. It was made _before _World War II.

"Taku…what are you doing?" Ace questioned from behind me. "What's with the sword?"

"I'm trying my hardest not to throw the sword down," I responded. "It has the swastika on it, but that could mean that the sword was before World War II, right?"

Ace came up behind me and took the sword from my hand. I watched him as he held it gently, studying its sheath and handle before removing the blade from the sheath, revealing a deep black blade. He held it before him vertically, turning it horizontally as he noted how thin the blade was and how sharp. He nodded before placing it back in its sheath and studying the hand guard.

"It's a swastika, but the sword is too old to be from this century," he remarked, earning a questioning gaze from me that he dismissed or simply decided to ignore. "It's hand crafted. I can tell from the swastika. It was made traditionally, though the runes running down the blade may mean that it was created by either a goblin or wizard. Either way, the sword is far too old to be from this century, so that would mean that whomever created it, didn't intend of the symbol he used being drastically changed as it was during World War II." He handed the sword back to me, and I decided to stuff it into my backpack.

"Why do you know so much?" I questioned, the question I wanted to ask not being the right one. Ace shrugged.

"The letter my old man sent me came with an informational packet," he stated, and I immediately knew that his letter had to have been several pages long. "He wanted me to be able to simply glance at a blade and know how old it was, whether it was handmade, and all that good stuff. So I spent my hour stockpiling his books from the vault. First time I've ever really be interested in reading anything." I smirked.

"Well, at least you can understand some of the stuff you're reading," I told him as we continued on. "I found two books in the Potter library that were in Ancient Greek. Do you speak Greek?" Ace snorted, shaking his head in response. "Thought not. So now, I'm going to have to find out how to translate the damned books because it seems as though they've been magicked themselves, so I'll have to manually translate them.

I paused as I spotted a second sword. It sat on top of a wooden table in its own little rack. Its sheath was a pure white. There was not a speck of dust on it. Its handle was made of a similar woven material that the black sword was made from - only this one was white. Its hand guard was a white version of the swastika that was on the other. Like the black sword, this one had a long chain half-link coming from handle's tip. All and all, this sword was a white version of the one I had just received.

I gazed at the sword before picking it up. Upon removing it from its sheath, I found that the blade was pure white and extremely sharp. Ace let out a low whistle.

"Beautiful," he mumbled as he took the sharp blade from my hand and examined it with extreme interest. I arched an eyebrow at him, but again, he either dismissed it or ignored me entirely.

"Can I get my sword back? I'll let you look over it later." Ace scowled, but gave me the sword anyway, which I returned to its sheath and dropped into my backpack.

We continued towards the back of the vault, examining items as we went along. I picked up several interesting spell books from the library as well as several books on ancient magical creatures. I was excited when I found an Ancient Greek Dictionary as I noticed that half of the books in the library were in Greek. I grabbed several of those as well.

What truly caught my eye was a large, dusty black book with Asian characters written on it. When I opened it, I realized what it was. "Ace, I think this is my family Grimoire." Ace glanced over my shoulder and nodded.

"It's big enough to be it. Take it with you." I did after struggling to put it in my bag. Afterwards, I came across an entire section in nothing but what I could only guess to be some Middle Eastern language. I skimmed through several books, and couldn't help but find the language familiar, despite it being my first time seeing it. Ace tried to help me figure out what language the books were in, but failed miserably as he had little knowledge on foreign languages. I did, however, grab three of them to study from before snatching several books on Runes and Arithmancy. I decided that I'd might as well learn as much about the subjects as possible.

I grabbed a bunch of transfiguration books on my way out of the vault. Ace teased me about the amount of books I was taking with me, saying that I was turning into Hermione. Maybe I was, but one thing was for sure, Hermione sure didn't wake up smart, now did she?

* * *

I was stretched out across the bed in my chambers later that day. Validore had succeeded in finding the paper that held the spell work, but he would need some time to prepare the spell as well as tweak it so that it wasn't so permanent. I was certain that by now, our families would realize that we were missing, and that they would most likely be worried about us. Well, the Weasleys, Longbottoms, and Malfoys would be upset. I doubt the Dursleys would ever cry over me. I'm pretty sure Dumbledore was probably trying to track me down, though.

Spread out before me were papers containing the properties that I now owned as Lord of the them. When we had returned, Validore had told me that, though it was only through the Potter line that this was so, I was heir to the Founders. As it would turn out, Helga and Godric were siblings, and Godric married Rowena who was the sister of Salazar. What a nice history lesson. So now, I was technically ruler over Hogwarts, but the very thought made we flinch in pain. I was already burdened with trying to save the world. What made him think that running a damn school wouldn't be hard as well? Anyway, after he'd told me that lovely news, he felt it best to give me a list of all of the properties I owned, which was fine with me.

I skimmed through the papers, trying to figure out what to do with the houses. Should I sell them, or use them for something else? They may come in use one day. I knew that for certain. Maybe I should use them for hiding in. If Voldemort ever manages to truly take over, they would be the perfect places to stay at while developing a plan of action.

I glanced through my list of properties. I owned two villas in Italy, one in Rome while the other was in Sicily. I owned a home in Moscow, Russia and a villa in Barcelona, Spain. I had others in Romania, Brazil, in Greece, Japan, and the United States. I glanced over them all, wondering just what to do with them, before placing the papers in an orderly pile and moving on to the books I'd found. The first thing I did was find the black Greek spell book and the Ancient Greek Dictionary.

It didn't take me long to look up τεμέτω. I gazed at the translation and pronunciation. "Temetō." A soft click beside me alerted me to my correct pronunciation of the word as the book unlocked itself. I picked up the black book and began to page through it. To my surprise and disdain, it was blank. I scowled before flipping through the entire book. It was blank! Not a word!

Instead of allowing myself to destroy it in frustration, I thought about what it could possibly be used for since it was blank. I pulled out a bottle of ink and a quill and simply wrote my name on the first page. When the letters stayed, I realized that the book had to be a diary of some kind. I closed the book, but kept the quill and ink out just in case I would need them. I pulled out one of the books that neither Ace nor I could understand.

The language was extremely foreign, despite the fact that it was still familiar to me. There was no way I'd ever seen it before, but I guessed that it had something to do with my blood. I flipped through the pages, trying to find something remotely recognizable in the weird language. After a few minutes, the words began to shift and blur together. I sat back and shook my head to clear. I'd probably been staring at it for too long. I returned to the book to find the words exactly as they were before, only something was different. It took me a moment before I realized why they seemed different. I could understand them.

I sat back, closed the book, set it on my bed, and left my room. I headed for the kitchen. I needed something to drink, preferably liquor. I grabbed a bottle of Ogden's from the refrigerator. I paused for a moment, gazing at the Muggle devise. I thought technology didn't work around magic. I shook my head and instead gulped down the bottle before returning to my room with a bottle of water.

I returned to the book and began to read it. I was surprised by the sheer amount of knowledge that was in it. After awhile, I opened the black book and began to take notes on things that interested me. One that really caught my interest was the idea of doll making.

Doll making was the process of creating a near indestructible body and placing either an artificial or a real soul into the body. Doll making was considered an S-class Dark ritual, mostly because it went against nature in creating a new being or giving new life to a dead person. If anyone was ever caught making a doll or in possession of a doll, said person would immediately receive the kiss. Lovely, yes?

That art of doll making instantly piqued my interest as I began to take notes on what I would need to create the doll as well as information on how to create it and anything else. I only paused when I remembered that it was considered dark by ministry standards and could result in my death if I was caught. I smirked. _If _I was caught.

"Hmm, doll making?" I looked up at the portraits of Lily and James I'd set above my bed. "That's highly illegal. Why are you interested in such a thing?" I gazed up at them and smiled.

"I was actually thinking of creating new bodies for you two," I responded, earning looks of shock. "I didn't think it was fair that you two would be stuck in paintings for forever."

"I like the idea," James responded. "Just make sure that you make my doll look just like me." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I'll have to practice my skills at carving and drawing first, so don't hold your breath," I replied as I continued to scribble more information into the book. For the rest of the night, I sat back taking notes from the books I was reading. I only stopped for a quick bathroom break, to get a snack, and for another bottle of Ogden's which Lily scolded me for, gaining a laugh from James. I enjoyed their presence and commentary during the night. This was the first time I'd ever found reading fun.


	12. Chapter 12

"Takuya…" I groaned as I turned over. "Takuya…" I mumbled something along the lines of "Shut the fuck up" earning a gasp of horror and an amused snort. "TAKUYA TRISTAN TAKAHASHI! HOW DARE YOU USE SUCH LANGUAGE?" I jerked away and was prepared to send a stunning spell at the voice when I realized that it was Lily who had shouted at me. My middle name was Tristan?

As I glared up at the portrait, I noticed that Lily was staring at me in fright. I looked over to find my hand curled into a fist, reeled back to pull a punch. That wasn't what was scary though. My entire fist was glowing royal purple with raw magical energy. I blinked twice, trying to comprehend it as I brought my fist to my face, opening up my hand.

"This is new," I mumbled. After a moment, the magic disappeared. I blinked before collapsing onto my bed again. I was blessed with silence for only a few more minutes.

"Takuya, I do not appreciate being sworn at," Lily said dangerously. Like I was afraid of a portrait? I sighed.

"Can you please let me sleep?" I requested. "I'm only fifteen you know. I'm still growing. Need sleep."

"You're eighteen," Lily corrected me. "And your friends are waiting in the living room." I mumbled something about annoying friends, but didn't move. "Takuya." I ignored her, utterly determined to fall back to sleep. It failed though. "TAKUYA TRISTAN TAKAHASHI! IF YOU DON'T GET UP THIS VERY INSTANT, I SWEAR I'LL…"

"You'll do what?" I snapped. "You're a portrait! A painting! You can't _do _anything but sit there and talk!" Silence reigned in the room.

"That was harsh, Takuya," James mumbled. I felt a pang in my chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Lily," I said, rolling onto my back to look up at her hurt, tearful gaze. "It was very rude of me, and you didn't deserve it. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I apologize for swearing at you, too. That was rude." Lily nodded, wiping her eyes.

"It's alright. I'm no one's mother. It's not as if I can really do anything, anyway. I am nothing but a portrait." I noticed her downtrodden expression and sat up.

"But that's why I want to make dolls for you and James! You can be more than a simple magicked portrait that way."

"But it's illegal, and you could die."

"Only if I get caught. Trust me. Dumbledore wouldn't want his 'Golden Boy' in jail, now would he?" Lily frowned, but nodded. James scowled, mumbling to himself.

"I should have known better than to trust that old man with my life. Now look at me. I'm reduced to a portrait hanging on the walls. Old goat fucker."

"James," Lily growled. "I may not be able to hurt Takuya, but I can certainly hurt you." James frowned and shook his head.

"Sorry." I smiled at the two of them. It would always amaze me how they managed to stay in love, even in a picture.

I was getting dressed when Damen walked into the room. The first thing he spotted was the portraits of the Potters. He smiled and waved. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I'm Damen, formerly known as George Weasley." James smirked.

"You still kind of look like you belong to the Weasleys," he stated. "Though you look just like Roderick." Damen raised an eyebrow to me in question.

"Our parents attended Hogwarts together, so Lily and James went to school with them," I explained. "Validore told us that." Lily nodded.

"Yes, Zinnia was a very close friend of mine, though Izzy will always be my best friend," she stated. "I think I was close with all of the Silverback girls, just like how the Marauders were close with all of the Silverback boys. Haruo was the only one who could keep James out of trouble." I snorted while James frowned at his wife.

"Yeah, right. Haruo was always hanging around with Snape," he said, spitting out the name venomously. My eye twitched. Snape? Why him?

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that's right. Haruo and Severus were very close. Some people would have even said they were dating if it weren't for the fact that Haruo was with Izzy during that time." I couldn't help myself. I gagged. James smirked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, kiddo. Disgusting, right?" I noticed out of the corner of my eye how Damen was trying not to turn a rather interesting shade of green.

"Before you guys make me sicker, Taku, Validore thinks that it is time for us to return to home. He has the glamour ready and everything." I nodded before stuffing some of my books into my bag. I said goodbye to Lily and James before freezing them and stuffing them into my backpack.

In the front room, Validore stood waiting for us. "It's nice to see you this morning, Mr. Takahashi. Ms. Potter's shrieks are an efficient alarm aren't they?" I scowled and nodded.

"Yeah, especially when you curse at her," I commented. Gabe snorted.

"Yeah, I heard that one. What did you say?"

"I told her to shut the fuck up, and she decided to scream at me. I found out that my middle name is Tristan, by the way." They snorted, shaking their heads.

"I was wondering why she stretched out your name like that," Ace mumbled. "Tristan? That's not even Japanese!" I shrugged.

"Now, the spell for the glamour isn't difficult," Validore began, gaining our attention, "but I had to modify it a bit to make it less permanent. It is undetectable, like your previous glamour, so no one will be able to discover it. It's less painful to remove and less exhausting to apply. Since a quick removal isn't optional, I've decided to embed the spell onto accessories that you must wear to keep the glamour. Removing them will remove the glamour on you." He opened the box that was sitting on the table to reveal six items. There were two black wristbands, a silver pendant, two black chokers, and a sterling silver ring. "Each item has been spelled with the glamour. Placing it on will restore the glamour." I reached into the box and grabbed the silver pendant. Embedded inside of it was a deep green emerald. Upon further inspection, I caught sight of a rune inscribed inside the gemstone. I slipped the pendent on and immediately felt a rush of magic before my vision blurred.

"Perfect. Now I'm blind again." I removed my glasses from my pocket and put them on.

"No, you're Harry again," Ace stated as he grabbed a wristband and put it on, becoming Ron again. The twins put on the two chokers while Gabe took the ring, and Gelly took the other wristband.

"I think that now that we've solved the glamour problem, I believe that we're going to have to solve the other problem," I stated. "Returning home. I can do it easily. I left through an open window, and I can return through an open window. All I'd need is a broom or something to reach the second floor. I don't live in a house of witches and wizards. Muggles are easy to trick with magic."

"Lucky bastard," Ron swore. "Mum is going to blow my ear off for sneaking off and not telling her where I went."

"She's going to blow all of our ears off," the twins replied.

"My grandmother isn't going to be thrilled either," Neville mumbled. Draco had turned a lovely shade of white.

"My father is going to kill me," he mumbled, running a hand down his face. I couldn't help the frown that formed on my face.

"I've been thinking," I said, gaining their attention. "I have several properties that are currently going unused. Maybe we could use one if we ever needed to get away." Draco stared me, surprised.

"Are you offering me one of your homes?" he questioned. I shook my head.

"I'm not giving it to you. It's more like an invitation for everyone. If you need to get away, just head to one of my many villas around the world. I have several. I was thinking of renovating them, but I didn't know what to use them for."

"Well, now that you're all set, I believe that it is time to say goodbye," Validore responded. "If you ever seek refuge, just know that you can always return here." We nodded, and Validore escorted us out.

* * *

I waited in the park for a good three hours, waiting for midnight to arrive. When it did, I rushed from the park and headed towards Privet Drive. Once there, I saw that not only was my bedroom window still open, but that the Dursleys weren't home. The bad news was that I saw a bunch of people in cloaks make their way into the dark house. Curing my luck at having a bunch of wizards break in, I ran up to the house. It took me climbing the fence and jumping up to grab the window sill of my bedroom window.

As I pulled myself into the room, I slipped and found myself face first on the ground, landing with a loud thud. Not very professional or graceful. I quickly righted myself as I heard the voices downstairs question about the noise. When they began to get closer, I spun around in an attempt to find a hiding place for my new backpack. I decided to store it in my trunk, which Uncle Vernon has decided to let me keep since it was taking up too much room in the cupboard.

Pulling out my wand, I flung open my door and came face to face with… "P-professor Lupin?" I questioned disbelievingly as I held my wand steady. Remus Lupin smiled at me, causing me to lower my wand. "What are you doing here? Why did you break into my house?"

"We're here to rescue you, Harry," he responded. I raised an eyebrow in question.

"We?" Lupin told me to grab my things and then he would explain. I grabbed my trunk and my broom before following him downstairs. In the living room was where I met a rather interesting group of characters.

"Wotcher, Harry!" a young woman, most likely the youngest out all of them, exclaimed as she shook my hand. She had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and unnatural spiky hair that was the most violent shade of violet I had ever seen. Beside her was a tall, bald black wizard. Near him was a silver haired wizard. Standing with Remus was possibly the only familiar person out of the entire group, despite the fact that I hadn't truly met him. Mad-Eye Moody's eye rolled in its socket before locking onto me and _staying _on me. I shivered as a thought ran through my mind about whether he could see through the glamour. I could only hope not.

"Um, hi," I stuttered. "Do I know you?" The woman, who was a looker, shook her head.

"Harry, this is Nymphadora – "

"_Don't _call me Nymphadora, Remus," the young witch hissed."

"– Nymphadora Tonks who likes to be called by her surname only," Remus finished. "This is Alastor Moody." I nodded to him, who gave me a nod back. "And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt" – he indicated to the tall black wizard – "Elphias Doge" – the silver haired wizard nodded – "Dedalus Diggle" the other familiar wizard bowed, dropping his top hat – "Emmeline Vance" – a stately looking witch in emerald green shawl inclined her head to me – "Sturgis Podmore" – a square jawed wizard with thick, straw colored hair who winked at me, sending me shivers – "and Hestia Jones." The pink cheeked, black haired witch waved to me. I mumbled my own hellos to them before turning to Remus.

"Were all of these people necessary?" I questioned nervously. "I'm not in _that _much danger, am I? Where are we going, anyway?"

"Don't worry, Harry," Moody replied. "You'll find out." Oh God.

"How are we going to get to wherever it is that you're taking me?"

"By brooms," Remus replied. "You're too young to Apparate, can't use the Floo system, and a Portkey is out of the question."

"You got everything, kid?" Moody questioned. I set my trunk and broom down.

"Let me go and get Hedwig's cage," I said before sprinting upstairs. I noted that I was closely followed by Tonks. Inside my room, I quickly grabbed Hedwig's cage before returning to the front room. After Tonks helped me clean out Hedwig's cage, we settled everything onto my broom before taking off.

The entire trip was a disaster, more or less. Moody constantly kept going off course, having several people switch places guarding me as though I were some type of special cargo. I doubt being a celebrity meant that I was special enough for this treatment. He was kept trying to double back, and the trip, which could have only lasted an hour or so, took nearly three. By the time we landed, I was nearly frozen to broom and wishing that I could get my driver's license so that I could have just driven us there.

Once we landed, Moody gave me a slip of paper with the orders to read it. In rather nice penmanship were the words _The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place. _Before I could ask, Moody snatched the paper from me and lit it aflame. I stared at him before glancing at the houses and thinking about the note. There was no number twelve. What the hell was going on?

No sooner had I thought that did a house began to appear, shoving number thirteen and number eleven out of its way as it did. God, magic could be so incredibly confusing sometimes.

After being prodded by Moody, who I really wanted to hex right now, I followed Remus up the steps. Once he reached the door, he tapped his wand once, unlocking it, and shoving me inside with the instructions of not to go any further. I was beginning to get tired off all of the instructions, though that stopped when I heard the screaming inside of the door.

"…YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU THREE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT WOULD POSSESS YOU TO JUST LEAVE DURING SUCH A DANGEROUS TIME! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! YOU DIDN'T LEAVE NOT OR ANYTHING! I HAD HALF A MIND TO KEEP YOU THREE LOCKED UP HERE FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

I winced. I should have known that Mrs. Weasley would get particularly angry when she found out that her three youngest sons had decided to skip out and leave without a word for three or four days without so much as a note. The tongue lashing they were receiving was particularly ear bleeding. Though, it only got worse when something else decided to add to the screeching.

An earsplitting, bloodcurdling screech erupted from behind drapes closed before. Despite the glamour hindering some of my senses, my ears were still extremely sensitive. So when the screeching had begun, I immediately grabbed my head and dropped to my knees to make the pain go away. I was lifted from my feet, however, when Moody and the others came in.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING?" Moody shouted at me before whacking me on the head with his wand, sending a cold shiver down my back as the Disillusionment charm was removed. Before I could respond, I watched as a man with long black hair ran up the curtains.

"Will you shut up?" he shouted before slamming the curtains closed, stopping the screams. Sirius turned to me and smiled. "Hello, Harry. I see you've met my mother." I smiled at him, though a little disoriented.

"Your mother?" I questioned as he led me into the kitchen. He nodded. "Why is she here?"

"Sadly, this is my house." I nodded at his response. Once inside the kitchen, I said my hellos to everyone there before remembering Moody and his accusation. I turned to towards him and glared at him. "You. First off, I didn't touch a damn thing you jackass!" I snapped, surprising everyone. "If you want to blame someone, blame Mrs. Weasley! Her screeching was what woke the damned portrait anyway!"

"HARRISON JAMES POTTER! WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" I threw up my hands. What was with everyone calling me by my full name this week? I was whacked in the back of the head with what appeared to be a spatula before being enveloped in a breathtaking hug.

After saying hello and apologizing to Mrs. Weasley, I took my things up to room I was sharing with Ron. Upon entry, I was jumped by Hermione and Ginny. After dropping my stuff on the ground, I turned to them. "Okay, so what the hell is the Order of the Phoenix and why in the hell was Mrs. Weasley screeching so hard that she woke up Sirius's mum and caused her to start screeching? Oh, and I don't think Moody likes me very much after I called him a jackass for blaming me for waking the portrait." Hermione gasped at my language while Ginny snickered as Ron's face turned pale.

"Ron and the twins decided to disappear for a few days," Ginny explained when Ron didn't reply. Not that I hadn't known already. "That's exactly what they get for not taking me along."

"Ginny, even if they had taken you, you would have been getting yelled at right along with them," Hermione stated calmly. "Though, they all deserve it for leaving and not telling anyone where they were going."

"Where did you go, Ron?" I questioned, teasing him. Ron gained the color back in his skin and glared at me. I knew he was angry with me for not having been yelled at. It wasn't my fault that his mother was so overbearing.

"So Harry, how has your summer been?" Ginny questioned. Several answers popped into my head. My summer has been confusing, hectic, unnerving, depressing, interesting, and several more adjectives that I couldn't think of. I stuck with something basic.

"My summer has been rather boring," I lied through my teeth. 'You still haven't answered my question, though. What the hell is the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Language, Harry," Hermione scolded. I rolled my eyes that our personal mother hen.

"The Order is basically an organization dedicated to stopping You-Know-Who," Ginny replied. "They should be having a meeting right now, but we aren't allowed to listen in because we're too young."

"Perfect," I mumbled sarcastically. "What was the point of bringing me here then? My summer was actually going all right. The Dursleys didn't bother me once." Of course, I wasn't there for almost a week, so I wasn't sure if they had even tried.

Hermione looked hurt by my question. "So does that mean you don't want to be here with us?" she questioned. I frowned.

"Good point. I'd rather be around you guys than the Dursleys any day," I replied.

"Come on, Hermione, we can catch up later," Ginny told the girl as she dragged her off. "I need help with my transfiguration homework."

After Ginny had dragged Hermione off, Ron got up and locked the door. "Percy left while the twins and I were gone," he stated as he sat down. "He yelled at Dad about agreeing with Dumbledore before calling him an idiot – or close enough – and leaving. He lives here in London in his own flat." I nodded at this new information. Percy had never been a favorite. "Bill and Charlie are members of the order. Bill has taken a desk job at Gringotts, though he misses Egypt. Charlie isn't here at the moment, but he's still a member."

"What does the Order do?" I questioned. Two loud cracks caused me to jump before my question was answered.

"Nothing, really," Fred and George replied as they sank down on the beds. They looked worse for wear.

"Molly told you off, didn't she?" I questioned. All three boys nodded. "But really, what does the Order do?"

"Nothing," George repeated. "They do nothing. They just sit around and report information on Voldemort's attacks, think of circumstantial information, continue to keep track of everything, and that's about it. Hell, most of them probably can't even duel against one of Voldemort's Death Eaters let alone the Dark Lord himself. The groups a phony." Suddenly, Fred held up his hand before pulling out his want and casting an incantation.

"What was that?" I questioned.

"Silencing ward," he responded. "To keep out unwelcomed visitors."

"Are you members?" The twins shook their heads.

"Mum doesn't think we're mature enough for the position, not that we want to be members, anyway. I certainly don't want to risk my life doing nothing. If we're going to fight Voldemort, we're going to need to be able to fight period, not just gain information through simple surveillance. They're…novices."

"Like we're any better," Fred mumbled. "What do we do? We can't leave this place without letting people know. Trust me. It was difficult to leave when George, Ron, and I tried. We need to be more active, though. I'd suggest searching for known Death Eaters, but we'd most likely die trying to fight them. We're just as ill equipped for this as the Order is."

"In other words, we need to start training, and fast," Ron remarked. "We could try here, but we still have trackers on us."

"No, we don't," I replied. Fred and George nodded as well.

"The trackers aren't placed on us," Fred responded. "They're on our wands. If we don't use our wands, we won't get caught."

"I did wandless magic several times, and have yet to receive an owl," I told him. Ron raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Ron, wandless magic is possible." He nodded.

"What about Gelly and Gabe?" he questioned. I cursed myself for not thinking of them. Why was I so forgetful?

"There's another problem I'll need to add to the list," I mumbled as I opened my trunk, removed my backpack, and grabbed my black diary from it. "Temetō," I said, unlocking it. I pulled out my quill and ink and began to scribbling down notes. "Figure out a way to train all of us." Fred raised an eyebrow.

"You keep a notebook, too?" he questioned. I looked as he and George pulled out their books. "We use ours when we need to jot down notes on some items we're planning on jinxing or inventing. Like for instance, Validore gained the idea of inscribing the glamours onto pendants and such from us after we looked over the spell work and changed some things." George nodded.

"We may not show it, but we're really good in Charms, Transfigurations, Runes, and Arithmancy," he replied. "We'd be willing to teach you guys some things." I nodded.

"Thanks." I paused and turned to a page in my book. "Have you ever heard of doll making?"


	13. Chapter 13

The next few days were rather…boring. Mrs. Weasley had us cleaning the house from top to bottom. I'm certain it would have been easier if we were able to use magic, but of course, due to the trackers and our lack of knowledge on wandless magic, we had to do everything by hand. Lovely.

Ron, the twins, and I sat in Ron's bedroom, sitting on the beds, studying from the multiple books we'd managed to grab from the Black library without Mrs. Weasley knowing. We all had our notebooks out – Ron had gotten his own – and were writing down any useful information we'd come across. I'd found tons of information about doll making in some of the books we'd grabbed. I wasn't surprised since the Blacks had been a rather dark family to begin with, with the exception of Sirius, the only Gryffindor Black.

As we studied, the pendant around my neck suddenly began to grow hot. For a moment, I thought it was just me, but when it began to feel as though it was burning the skin on my chest, I removed it from inside my shirt with a yelp, gaining the attention of the Weasley boys.

"Did we forget to mention that we made them communicators, too?" Fred questioned. I glared at him. "Grab the pendant and just start talking." I grabbed the hot pendant as instructed.

"Draco? Neville?" I questioned as Fred put up a silencing ward. It was quiet for a moment before I got a reply.

"Takuya?" Draco's voice whispered. "Oh Merlin, am I glad to hear your voice. Lucius went berserk when I returned home and nearly killed me if it wasn't for Narcissa. I'm hiding out at the Hog's Head with Aunt Andromeda. She's in trouble, too. Uncle Ted, her Muggleborn husband, is after her. Aunt Bella has been acting weird, too. I think she's sane for once. Narcissa told me that she wants to speak to you about their marriage licenses. They want nothing to do with their husbands… I know you probably don't want to help a Death Eater and the wife of a Death Eater, but please, Takuya. I know I've been an asshole in the past. I'm sorry for every mean thing I've ever said to you and your friends. Please help my mother and her sisters. They want to be on your side. Not Dumbledore's, not Voldemort's, and not the Ministry's, but yours."

The room fell silent. I glanced at the others. We stared at one another in thought. Should we really help him help them? I'd heard of Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black. She was one of Voldemort's more fanatical Death Eaters. Would I really want to risk my life to help the woman who had tortured people to death? Did I want to help the woman who found joy in killing people?

"Takuya, please," Draco whimpered on the other end. I scowled as I felt the undying urge to rush in headlong and think later.

"What can I do, Drake?" I questioned. "I can't nullify their marriage contracts. It's not within my power. I'm only heir! Sirius is Lord Black!"

"Then have Sirius do it!"

"Sirius is an escaped convict, Draco! He can't so much as leave the house."

"Takuya, you are able to do miracles! I've seen it! Do something! Please!" I was surprised by his determination. If he were directly in front of me, I would have thought it was all an act. "Takuya, I am pleading with you. Fuck my pureblood status, and fuck my status as a Malfoy. I pleading to you now as Gabriel Yoshikawa I'm pleading to you now as Gabe, the guy you've been with for almost a week. The guy whose life was turned upside down just as quickly as yours was. Please, Takuya. Do something. I'm an angel, for God's sake. If I thought that Bellatrix or Narcissa were evil, don't you think that I would be the first to know?" Again, the room fell into silence as I gazed at the Weasley boys, asking him the same question. Would he know if they were fooling him? I could tell that his pleading was genuine. He wanted to help them. The fact that they were together with his Aunt Andromeda, whom Sirius had told me had been blasted off the family tree by his mother, told me that they were past their blood purity crap. Did they really just want to be released from their marriage contracts?

"Okay, Drake," I replied. "I'll see what I can do." Draco sighed with relief on the other end.

"Thank you, Takuya. I owe you big time."

I smirked. "Yeah, you do." The connection dropped, and I sighed. I had my work cut out for me.

"So now what?" Ron questioned. "How are you going to do it?" I shrugged. I really had no clue. I doubted Sirius wanted to help them, but even if he did, how would he do it since he was a criminal?

"Takuya," Draco's voice whispered from the pendant again. "Could you possibly meet me at the Hog's Head tomorrow? They wish to speak with you." I frowned. Now I had to deal with sneaking out of the house.

"Okay, Draco," I responded dejectedly. This was going to be tough.

"Thanks, Takuya," was the soft reply before the connection dropped again.

"Now how are you going to work that out?" Fred questioned. I shook my head. I had no clue.

"I'm going to have to tell Sirius what's going on. He's the only one who can help them."

"Good luck with that," Ron snorted. "Sirius hates his family with a vengeance. It's actually kind of funny how split they all are."

"Maybe you'll get lucky," Fred said. "He might just understand." I shook my head.

"Sirius is just as stubborn as I am." I paused. "I have an idea."

* * *

The following day, after breakfast, Ron rushed to help Molly clean the upstairs sitting room. Arthur left work, and Hermione and Ginny went to help Molly along with Remus. That left only Sirius and the twins.

"Sirius, do you want to go for a walk with us?" I questioned innocently. "Or are we not allowed to leave the house?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at the question.

"I can't leave the house, kiddo," he replied. "I'm on the run, remember?" I nodded.

"What if you were in your Animagus form?" I questioned. He shook his head.

"Someone is bound to recognize me. I don't want to get sent back to Azkaban, thank you very much." I hummed to myself. This was going to be a challenge. I smirked. More fun for me.

"I wish I could go to Hogsmeade," I mumbled, dejectedly. "I wanted to get a butterbeer." Sirius suddenly adopted a faraway look in his eyes.

"I haven't had one of those in so long," he mumbled, before shaking out of his trance. "I promised Molly that I would be responsible today." I frowned. I'd hoped that would work. I glanced over at the twins who shook their heads. Time to go to plan B.

"Sirius, I need to tell you something important," I told him. "I'd advise you to sit down for this." Sirius shot me a questioning look before taking a seat.

"What's wrong, sport?" he questioned. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah." That's when I told him everything that had happened to me before I'd come to Grimmauld Place, the twins giving their own commentary as well. Sirius could only sit there in shock. I couldn't blame him. It was rather surprising. It wasn't often when you found out that your best friend's kid wasn't his kid, but rather, another former classmate's.

We sat in silence afterwards. I had yet to get to the part about the Black sisters and Draco. I wanted him to digest this first before I got to the next part. Sirius's expression was rather interesting, though. It was a mixture of shock, confusion, anger, and sorrow. Shock from learning about my true identity, confusion on my life's story, anger at having known that I wasn't his true godson, and sorrow at finding out that Lily and James died without having their own baby. At least, that's what I thought anyway.

"Harry, this is… that's really farfetched," he responded after a moment. "You…you look just like James. You even have Lily's eyes! I can't believe it!" I nodded, fingering the pendant. I glanced towards the twins, who placed a locking spell on the door.

"The reason why I look like both of them is because I'm wearing a glamour," I responded. "Validore couldn't contact the sorceress who placed the spell on us, so he had us wear glamours that were strong enough to hold back our true identities while being undetectable. Of course, the twins helped in making them." Fred and George grinned at the praise. "The glamours can only be activated when we put on a certain item. My glamour is inscribed on this pendant. If I took it off, I would look like my father, Haruo." Sirius stared at me for a moment before glancing at the pendant.

"Can I see?" he questioned softly. I nodded. I undid the clasp of the pendant and set it on the table as a wave of magic fell over me, and my vision got blurry. Taking off my glasses, I noted the shocked expression that was on Sirius's face.

"Oh Merlin," he whispered. "You look just like Haruo. You have Izayoi's eyes, though, just like as Harry." His shock fell into amusement. "Harry had James's looks, but Lily's eyes." Amusement quickly turned to sorrow. "Oh Merlin. I can't believe it. Harry never existed." I shook my head.

"But does it matter?" I questioned. "I'm still Harry. Appearances can change all they want, but I will always be Harry. I just won't be as rash." Sirius snorted.

"So, I guess there was a reason as to why you wanted us to go to Hogsmeade, huh?" he questioned. "Is it going to shock me, scare me, or what?"

"You're not going to want to do it," I replied honestly. "Just because of the people involved." His eyes narrowed. "Sirius, please, just listen first. People change, okay. So please, just listen before you react, okay? For me? For Harry?" Sirius flinched when I said that, but nodded. I took a deep breath. "Draco – no – Gabriel wants us to help his mother and her sisters." He was up before I could finish, but so were the twins.

"I am not helping that woman!" Sirius snapped. "She married a Death Eater for God's sakes! Why should I help her?"

"Because she was forced!" I snapped, slamming my hands on the table as I stood up. "All of them were forced, including Andromeda. Trust me. I've spoken to her! That's why they need your help. They're changing sides and want nothing to do with Voldemort or Dumbledore!"

"Who's left if not for Voldemort or Dumbledore?" Sirius argued. "The Ministry wouldn't want Bellatrix on their side even if she was free!"

"Mine, Sirius! They want to be on _my _side! I don't support Dumbledore anymore. He's used me and tried to turn me into his own personal puppet! I'm fighting for the good of the entire Wizarding World, not just myself! Dumbledore isn't doing shit, and you know it!"

"That does not mean that I want to help those women!"

"If you're not going to help them, then help Andromeda, your favorite cousin! Ted has her in an abusive marriage, and she wants out! Now what are you going to do? Stand there and be childish, or are you going to help her?" Silence reigned as we glared at each other.

"I couldn't help them even if I wanted to," he responded. "I'm an escaped convict. I can't do anything!"

"Go to Gringotts," I told him, my voice dangerously low. "The goblins wouldn't even hand over the money of known Death Eaters. What makes you think that they will hand you over?"

"Why do you want to help them so much?" he screamed.

"Because I care!" I snapped. "For all you know, they could be useful! Stop thinking about yourself for a change, and think about others!"

"You don't think that I care? Of course, I care! Bellatrix used to be my favorite cousin before she went mental! I could always go to Bella when things got rough at home! She'd always have some good advice for me, despite her own terrible living situation." His voice slowly grew softer until it was just above a whisper. "Yeah, Bella was my favorite. That was until Romulus put her under the Imperius curse. That was the last time I've ever seen her eyes their original deep blue." We were all silent. Fred, George, and I shared a look. Was it possible to be under the Imperius spell for over twenty years?

"Is it possible?" I questioned them, earning Sirius's attention. He watched as the twins pulled out their notebooks and began to go through them.

"'…Casting the Imperius curse is simple, while holding it is difficult, depending on the victim's will power. If the victim's will power is weaker than the caster's, than the target can be placed under the effects for a long period time. There have been cases where a victim has been placed under the Imperius for years at a time, the master changing several times during those years. The longest recorded case of Imperius possession was for fifteen years…'" Fred closed his book and gazed up at me. "Yep. It's very much possible." Sirius stared back and forth between us, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

"Could Bella really have been under the Imperius the entire time?" he questioned. "That's can't be right. Her personality had changed. She was insane!" His response came from George.

"'When under the Imperius curse for an extended period of time, it is possible for the victim's personality to be altered to one that is more suited for the tasks the body is forced to perform. When the Imperius is lifted, that personality will either disappear with the curse, or remain and the victim will suffer from split personality disorder with the created personality the weakest against the original, despite how long the victim has been under the curse.'" He snapped his book shut and looked up at me as well. "You'd be surprised what you can find in the Black Library about such things." I nodded before turning to Sirius.

"Well?" Sirius shook his head.

"Harry…" He paused. "Takuya, are you sure? What if it's a trap?"

"Why would they be helping Andromeda if it was?" I questioned. Sirius scowled. "Has Molly actually whipped some sense into you or are you just afraid of returning to Azkaban and getting the kiss?" Sirius glared at me.

"Both, but I'll go. How do we get there and back without anyone knowing?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Who said we were going to get there and back without anyone knowing? They're going to find out we've left either way, so we might as well just go and get back without being seen, receive a tongue lashing from Molly, and be done with it. Worst case scenario is that she locks us in our rooms for the rest of the holidays. Like that's anything new to me. Scared?"

"Of Molly? Yes," Sirius responded, smirking. "Scared of leaving? Not a chance. It's been too long since I've been out. Let's get going before she realizes that we're leaving." I nodded.

"Turn into your Animagus form." Sirius shifted into his dog form. From there, the twins performed a simple charm that changed his fur color to a dingy brown before I snapped on the dog collar and leash. Sirius growled at me, but I rolled my eyes. "Just play along," I told him as the twins removed their glamours.

Unlocking the door, we stepped out of the kitchen and glanced around. Seeing no one, we slipped outside before the twins Apparated us to Hogsmeade. I was surprised by how simple it was to get there, but dismissed. My usual bad luck wasn't upon us today, and I certainly didn't want to jinx us now.

We walked calmly through Hogsmeade, the twins and I chatting it up as though we were simple friends who'd decided to take a walk through the village with their dog. Sirius didn't exactly like being on the leash, but didn't object to it either. As long as he was unrecognizable, he was fine.

We headed to the Hog's Head and slipped inside. The bartender immediately glared at us. "No dogs allowed," he snapped. "Read the sign." He pointed to a sign on the window that said just that. I reached into my pocket and removed twenty galleons.

"I'm pretty sure you can make an exception," I responded smoothly. The bartender's eyes widened before greedily snatching the galleons from my hand.

We sat down at a table and idly chatted while we waited for Draco to show. We ordered a few drinks for ourselves and water for Sirius, which I inconspicuously spiked with a little Ogden so that he would stop trying to bite me. It took several minutes before Draco, or rather, Gabriel showed up.

"Takuya, it's been awhile," he said joyously as he shook my hand along with the twins. "Come up to my room. I have much to talk to you about." With a nod, we followed him up after paying the bartender and tipping him.

Ushering us into an apartment, Gabe locked the door and placed a silencing ward around the apartment. "I'm so glad you came," he said, relief sounding clearly in his voice. "Uncle Ted has been searching everywhere for Aunt Andromeda. He's getting so close to find her."

"Where is she?" I questioned.

"In the back with Narcissa and Bellatrix." He ushered us into the back where I was confronted with an interesting sight.

Narcissa Malfoy sat silently on the couch beside her older sister Andromeda, who looked to have been crying before we arrived. Bellatrix sat with her arm around her, comforting her. All looked up at us when we arrived.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Potter – um, Takahashi," Narcissa corrected herself.

"I'm beginning to think that I have a hero complex, because I couldn't just turn my backs on such a serious situation," I replied. "Has her husband come here yet?" Narcissa shook her head.

"Not yet, anyway. Can you help us?" I shook my head.

"I can't, but the mutt next to me certainly can." Sirius growled at me. "I'm shaking in my boots, Sirius." I removed the collar and leash as the twins returned his fur to its natural color. When this was done, Sirius returned to his human form.

"I should hurt you for putting that leash on me," he growled.

"Don't hurt him for such an ingenious plan," Damien stated. "I thought it was a good idea. We didn't look suspicious at all. We just looked like three friends walking a dog." Sirius glared at them, but took a seat.

"Whatever." He turned the women and sighed. "It's nice to see you again, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Andromeda. Now what exactly is going on?"

"A few days ago, the Imperius curse that I was under for so many years finally wore off," Bellatrix replied. "That or the person who was holding it died. I'm not certain. I am, however, grateful to be released from that disgusting spell. I've done many things in my life that I'm regretting now. I wish I could just start over, but I can't. The very least I can do is help make things right, though. That's why I told Cissie to contact you, Takuya."

"Why me?" I questioned, slightly confused. "What would make you think that I would be willing to help the wives of two Death Eaters, one of whom is Voldemort's favorite?"

Narcissa nodded. "We knew that it wouldn't be easy, but we had to turn to you. The Ministry doesn't want women fighting a battle. Hell, they don't want women in any form of position other than as a trophy wife and homemaker, and maybe teacher. Dumbledore isn't even fighting against Voldemort. If he is, his methods are completely unorthodox. He has no strategy. I actually think he's planning on just allowing you to fight Voldemort alone and hope you win."

"Funny, I thought that, too. Please continue."

"Voldemort is fighting for no one, but himself. His Death Eaters are disposable, and it makes me sick how he treats them. The only side left is neutral, and being neutral will get us killed."

"So you want me to start a new faction?" I questioned. "With what political standing? May I remind you that after last year, my reputation is taking a nosedive."

Narcissa smiled at me. "That's where I come in. Nullify my marriage contract, and I shall do everything in my power to make sure that you have one of the highest political standings. I've been planning this for awhile, Mr. Takahashi. I have a vast amount of political knowledge that shall be useful. If the Ministry wasn't so sexist, I also believe that I would have the title of Potions Master instead of dear Severus. I can help you."

"And what could you possibly say that would change my standings politically?" I questioned.

"I would tell them that Dumbledore made you say it," she responded. I stared at her before a smirked began to grow on my face. That was perfect.

"Yes, that's perfect," I purred, my thoughts somewhere else. "Dumbledore illegally made himself my guardian. If that get's out, then it would be easy to convince the press that Dumbledore made me say that Voldemort had returned." My smirk shifted into a rather evil looking grin.

"Takuya, I do believe that you should have been a Slytherin," Damien stated. "That's just evil."

"No less than what he deserves, no?" I questioned. "Maybe I should rat out the Order of the Phoenix while I'm at it. They're doing more harm than good." It was then that I noticed the murderous look in Sirius's eyes. "Sirius?"

"How did he become your guardian?" he snapped. I stared at him before remembering how a few days ago I'd told him of my treatment at the Dursleys'. "Did he know of how your relatives were treating you?"

"Sirius, what are you shouting about?" Bellatrix questioned.

Sirius's voice began dangerously low. "Did he know that they were abusing you?" he growled. I was surprised by how angry he was, somewhat scared as well. I nodded. Something snapped in his eyes.

"Takahashi, what is he talking about?" Narcissa questioned. I shook my head.

"My relatives haven't exactly been much of a family to me," I responded. "They hate magic and anything to do with it, so during the first ten years of my life, they've tried to…" I got quiet. I hated talking about my past. I couldn't help it when my throat closed.

"They've tried to beat the magic out of him," Sirius growled. "Damned Muggles are the reason why Voldemort is after them now!" Narcissa looked shocked.

"Dumbledore placed you in that family?" she questioned. I nodded. "He could go to prison for that!" I arched an eyebrow in question. "Despite your being a half blood, the Potters were still a very noble and pureblood family. Because of rules set in place for ancient pureblood families, it is illegal to place a pureblood in the custody of a Muggle, no matter what the reasons are." I stared at her. That's was an interesting tidbit of legal information. "Not only that, but their abusing you can send them to Azkaban for a rather long period of time, as well. Dumbledore should have known better, the old coot. He's becoming senile with old age. He is over a hundred."

"So if I convince Sirius here to revoke your marriage license, you'll help me?" Narcissa nodded.

"I am highly adept at rituals and alchemy. I'm a master at potions, and extremely knowledgeable in politics. I have a vast knowledge of magical creatures, and I am somewhat skilled at ancient magic. I believe that I would be an asset to you." I nodded thoughtfully. She certainly was skilled for a house-wife. Lucius was fool to never use her abilities to the fullest.

"Please allow me to join your side, Takahashi-san," Bellatrix pleaded, bowing, surprising me with her knowledge of Japanese customs. "I was one of Voldemort's more capable Death Eaters."

"We know," was the reply from the twins, Sirius, and I.

"You don't even have to convince us, Bella," Sirius stated. "We already know just how capable you are." Bellatrix nodded. "Smile once in awhile. It's been so long since I've seen those blue eyes sparkle." Bella seemed surprised before breaking into a sweet smile, her deep blue eyes glowing. Sirius had been right. Her eyes were beautiful, but then, so was the rest of her.

"Andromeda, we'll help you as best we can," Sirius stated. "We'll head over to Gringotts and sort everything out. You'll be a Black again before you know it." Andromeda smiled at him through teary eyes.

"Thank you, Sirius. Thank you, Harry – um – Takuya." I nodded.

"For your safety, you shall be staying at one of my villas in Greece. Do any of you know how to perform a Fidelius charm?" I wasn't surprised when Narcissa spoke up. "Good. You and your sisters shall stay there along with Gabe for now. He knows the location." Gabe nodded. "Oh, and please, just call me Takuya. My last name is a mouthful."

"I would just call him Tristan," Damien said, smirking mischievously, only to earn a whack in the back of the head from me.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped.

"Tristan?" Sirius questioned.

"His middle name," Gabe replied, laughing. "Lily shrieked it the day we left Gringotts."

"Lily?" Sirius questioned.

"Yeah, I have Mum and Dad's portraits at home," I told him. "You can speak with them later. For now, however, I believe that it is time for us to be leaving so that we can settle a few things." Bellatrix nodded.

"Thank you for your help, Takuya-san," she said, bowing. "We are forever in you debt."

* * *

"Stop whining, Siri," I hissed underneath my breath as the twins and I walked into Gringotts with Sirius on a leash. He whimpered, and I gently petted him on the head. "Relax. The Ministry can't control the goblins. There is nothing to worry about." At least, I hoped. We never went over a backup plan in case shit hit the fan because we were hoping that the goblins wouldn't get into Ministry business. Maybe that had been stupid of us, but the entire meeting and trip was a spur of the moment idea. We didn't have _time _to plan everything.

"Good morning, Griphook," I greeted the hideous goblin. "Is Validore free at the moment?"

"Yes, who's asking?" he snapped.

"Takuya Takahashi." His eyes widened.

"His office is in that direction. Do you wish for me to escort you?"

I couldn't hold back the amused smile. "No, I know where I'm going."

We walked calmly through the rather empty bank. It was a weekday. Everyone was either at work or at home. Most wizards didn't want anything to do with the goblin bank, but only left their gold there because it was the safest place. Only a fool would hide their gold anywhere else and expect it to be safe from burglars.

"Good morning, Validore," I greeted the old goblin as I entered his office. "You're not busy, are you?"

"I am never busy, Mr. Takahashi," the goblin responded. "How may I be of service to you?"

"Are the goblins allies with the Ministry?" I questioned as I sat down.

"We goblins want nothing to do with those corrupt politicians," Validore sneered. "We'd do anything in our power just to annoy them." I smirked.

"Good. I need your help. Who is the account manager for the Black account?" Validore smiled, showing a row of sharp, white teeth.

"I am," was the reply. I removed the collar from Sirius.

"Can you find evidence that shows his innocence towards the murders that he was said to have committed?" I questioned as Sirius retook his human form and sat down. Validore smiled.

"I'm sure that I can find some convincing evidence."

"How about a Pensieve? I'm very willing to give up my memories for this, as long as it's anonymous." Validore nodded. "That's not all we've come here for, though."

"I wish to nullify the marriage contracts of the Black sisters Narcissa, Andromeda, and Bellatrix," Sirius announced.

As he and Validore were going through the paper work, my pendant began to burn. "What's going on, Gabe?" I questioned.

"He's here! Ted found us!" he shouted. The twins and I jumped up.

"Stay here, Sirius," I ordered him. "We'll be back. If not, use the Floo." We rushed out of the office before he could argue.

Dammit, I should have known this would happen. The twins grabbed my arm, and we Apparated to the Hog's Head just in time to find Narcissa standing with her wand raised as a man who I could only guess was Ted Tonks held Andromeda by the arm with his wand raised, ready to attack. Before he could fire a spell, I sent my own.

With a wave of my hand, I shouted, "Ventus!" Ted turned just in time to be struck by a strong gust of wind and thrown back. Narcissa managed to hit him with a stunning spell before he landed on the ground. Ted officially didn't seem like much of a dueler if it only took two spells to knock him out. Hopefully, it was only because I caught him by surprise. Maybe he thought I was an Auror. I didn't know or care.

"Are you two alright?" I questioned as I ran up to them, helping Andromeda off the ground. Both women nodded.

"It could have been worse," Andromeda replied as she held her arm. "He broke my arm. I'll be fine. Bella can heal me." I scowled.

"I should have known this was going to happen today," I mumbled. "I've been having good luck all day. I should have expected something like this." I helped her to her feet before handing her to her sister. "Take her to Greece with Bella and Gabe and don't come back until I tell you." She nodded before taking her sister back inside the pub.

"Let's get back before the Aurors show up," Damen said, glancing around. I nodded and we Apparated back to the bank.

When we returned to Validore's office, Sirius was pacing before the door. "What happened? Are they alright?"

"Everything is fine, Sirius," I responded, motioning him to sit down. "Did you finish everything here?" He nodded.

"The contracts have been cancelled and burned, and the families have been notified," Validore responded. "May I have the memory you wanted?" I gave him the memories I wanted to use for Sirius's case. Before we left, I made one more request to Validore.

"I need you to 'leak' some information about my living at the Dursleys' to the press, as well as something about Dumbledore being my illegal guardian," I told him. Validore sneered, showing his teeth again.

"A smear campaign?" he suggested. I smirked.

"This is worse because it's true. Also, make sure the press knows about the ancient laws placed by the ancient pureblood clans."

"I will certainly do that, Mr. Takahashi."

Afterwards, we returned to Grimmauld Place where the welcoming committee welcomed us home.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE? SIRIUS, YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO JUST WALTZ OUTSIDE! YOU'RE AN ESCAPED CONVICT! DOES YOUR FREEDOM MEAN NOTHING TO YOU? AND YOU TWO! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE AFTER WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER GET YOUR APPARATION LICENSE EVER AGAIN! AND HARRY! THERE ARE DEATH EATERS RUNNING AROUND OUT THERE, AND YOU JUST DECIDE TO DISAPPEAR! DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE? DO YOU CARE FOR YOUR LIVES AT ALL?"

That was the beginning of a two hour tongue lashing by Molly Weasley, who awoke Mrs. Black as she did so. Of course, right after her came Ginny, who yelled at us for not taking her, and Hermione, who yelled at us for not saying anything, and just leaving. After they yelled at us, Ron gave a convincing act of shouting at us about leaving him behind. Then Remus yelled at us – mostly Sirius – about our wellbeing and whatnot. It turned into a two hour lecture. After he lectured us, Bill and Charlie – who'd arrived after we'd left – scolded us for being stupid enough to leave. My ears were still ringing after Molly's screeching to really care, though my temper got the best of me when Hermione decided to lecture me, which caused me to snap at her and everyone else who yelled at us, which caused Molly to come back and yell at me for snapping at them.

"HOW DARE YOU YELL AT EVERYONE ELSE WHEN IT'S YOUR FAULT YOU'RE GETTING YELLED AT!" she screeched, which only made me just a little bit angrier. That's a lie. I was pissed when she decided to shout at me again.

"MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T SO DAMN QUICK TO YELL AT SOMEONE, WE COULD EXPLAIN!" I snapped, shutting her right up and gaining everyone else's attention. Most were surprised that I'd managed to shut her up. Others wanted to hear the explanation. Their questions were answered when Tonks rushed into the kitchen and enveloped Sirius in a big hug.

"Thank you so much, Sirius!" she exclaimed as she grabbed him. I was amused by the amount of shock Sirius was displaying as he awkwardly hugged her back. Tonks released him, but kept a good grip on his arms. "Thank you so much for releasing my mum from the marriage contract with my dad. Their marriage was horrible, and my dad was the only reason they didn't split up. Thank you so much!"

"Sirius, did you go to Gringotts?" Remus questioned. When Sirius nodded, Remus turned to the twins and I. "And you went with him." We nodded.

"Thank you, Sirius," Tonks said again. "My mum should be so happy now. If only I could find her, though. She disappeared a few days ago, though I couldn't blame her for just leaving."

"Tonks, you're an Auror, right?" I questioned, earning a nod in reply. "How come you didn't arrest your father for abuse?" Tonks shook her head.

"I tried, but because I'm one of the few female Aurors, I don't have much say. Kingsley tried to help, but there were so many hoops we had to jump through that we gave up. The Wizarding Europe is run by a lot of sexist pigs and corrupt politicians. My mum was always complaining about it, and thanking Merlin that I became an Auror." She turned to Sirius again. "Thank you so much. I was also told that you put Mum back on the family tree again. Thanks a lot." Once again, Sirius was caught in a hug by Tonks before she ran off back to work.

"Oh, Sirius, that was so sweet of you," Molly said. "You still should have told us, though. We were so worried."

"Can I get an apology for nearly losing my hearing?" I questioned rather loudly due to the fact my ears were still ringing, which I reported to them.

"Now, Harry, you're just being dramatic," Hermione scolded.

"No, I'm serious. My ears are throbbing and ringing." Molly rushed over to my side and looked into my ear. I began to worry when she gasped.

"My word! Your ear is bleeding!" she exclaimed before rushing to grab a towel and returning. She checked my other ear and found the same result. I sat still as she began to heal my ears.

After my ears were healed, I was rushed upstairs where I was followed by the twins, Ron, and Sirius. "Okay, since you came back in one piece, everything went well?" Ron questioned as we sat on the bed

"Yeah. It took some time convincing Sirius to go, but we managed it," I responded. "We had an interesting discussion with the Black Sisters. Narcissa wants me to create a new faction, though I'm not completely sure how. She wants me to tell the press that Dumbledore forced me to say that Voldemort has risen."

"How are you going to pull that off?" Ron questioned.

"Takuya had Validore 'leak' some information to the press. Ingenious, yes?" Fred questioned. Ron nodded.

"But should we really create a new faction?" he asked, deep in his thoughts. "I mean, yeah, it would help a lot of people, but do we really need an army to get rid of Voldemort? I'd just have a hit-wizard squad pick off his Death Eaters one by one until there are none left. An army would be too much."

"Do you really think so?" I questioned. Ron pulled out his book and began to write.

"I think that we should form a group, kind of like the Order, only much better."

"As in, our people are actually capable of fighting and killing," George remarked. Ron nodded.

"Yes. It has to be secret, of course, just like the Order. We'll target only those who are damaging this world. Hell, we might as well remake it while we're at it, though I think we should start out small, and start by getting rid of the Death Eaters. Of course, the group could have more functions other than targeting people, but that the main one I've thought out. What do you think?"

The twins and I shared a look. "It's bloody brilliant," George said, grinning. "It'll give us a chance to work on some things that could help."

"But we'll need to work on our Arithmancy, Damen," Fred stated. "And Runes if we want to make some of this stuff work." He pointed to something in his book. George nodded.

"We should get to work, then. Oh, and before we leave, I vote that Takuya be put in charge!"

"I second it!" Fred exclaimed. Ron raised his hand in agreement. I glared at all three bastards.

"You three are going to lead me to drinking," I snapped at them. "Putting me in charge of something as big as this! I think that the idea is ingenious, too, but that doesn't mean that I want to be in charge of other people's lives! Also, how am I going to form this group? Have you read the Prophet? They're destroying my reputation, making me sound like a fucking a loon! Who is going to want to be on my side?"

"Wait until the press gets a hold of all of the information that goblin 'leaked' first, Takuya," Sirius responded. "Then you should see what people think of you then." I scowled at the man. He was no help at all.

"Relax, Takuya," Ron said calmly as the twins left the room. "Everything will be fine." I glared at him.

"You're a little too calm for my taste. What's going on?" Ron stared at me before smirking. "Are you drunk?" He shook his head, his smirk a smile now. "Oh God, you're high aren't you?" Ron just smiled. "You are! Your eyes are hazy! What the hell have you been smoking?"

"My old man told me to live a little and left a little bit of marijuana in his vault," he replied. "It took me forever to get the scent out of my clothes, but it was all worth it." He was definitely high.

"You'd better hope Molly doesn't catch you," Sirius remarked. "She'll have your ears bleeding just like Takuya's." Ron shrugged.

"I lean out the window while I smoke, and magic is really handy when cleaning things. I'll be fine. Even if she does find out what I'm doing, she won't be able to find my stash." Sirius rolled his eyes as he left the room. I gazed at Ron through narrowed eyes.

"Where is it?" I growled. He held up his book.

"It's hidden in the leather binding by a mixture of runes and charms. Trust me. You're not going to be able to get to it either." I growled but gave up. There was no point in arguing with the pothead.

"Fine, I'll let you smoke yourself into a haze! Just don't come crying to me when you can't hear!" Ron snorted and returned to his book. I frowned. "Though, you do seem to be a little calmer. I couldn't even tell that you were high." Ron nodded.

"I'm not human, so certain drugs don't have the same affect on me as normal people. That's what my old man said, at least. Like most potheads would be giddy. I'm just fine. I feel as calm as I'm acting. Before I took my first smoke, I was jittery, nervous. I was…terrified."

"Of what?"

"Of them finding out that I wasn't their son anymore. It scared me. Now, I'm fine." I scowled again.

"Ron, promise me you won't take this stuff just because you need a break from certain emotions. I'm here, ya know." Ron looked up at me and smiled.

"I know, but it's hard to talk about stuff like that, ya know? Thanks for listening, though." I smiled at him, and we began to study our notes and take even more.


	14. Chapter 14

I groaned as I awoke the next morning. I breathing was constricted, and I was certain that something was lying on top of me. As I regained feeling in my arms, I realized that I was holding something, or rather somebody. I opened my eyes to find Ace sleeping peacefully on top of me, his head on my chest. I tried to take a breath, but failed. Ace was just as heavy as I imagined him to be, but he was really warm, though.

I wandlessly locked the door and replaced the silencing ward that we'd placed up the night before. Ace shifted on top of me, and I sighed with relief when he shifted into a position that was more comfortable for me. I was finally able to breathe. My joy didn't last long, though, when I couldn't move my left arm. It took me a moment to find out why. I grimaced when I saw that my hand was rest between his thighs. Just perfect.

Wiggling my hand free got me nowhere fast, especially when he clamped down tighter, cutting off the blood flow. My hand was starting to get cold. It only got worse when he began to get animated in sleep.

"God you're so warm," he purred against my chest as he placed my hand right on his crotch. I stiffened. Oh dear God, he was hard. He rubbed my hand up and down his cover erection. Several emotions ran through me at once, but the one that stayed was the most surprising. It was want. As in, I _wanted _to touch him. I _wanted_ to hear him moan my name. I _wanted _him. I shivered at that point.

"God I want you to touch me," he whispered before shoving my hand into his pants. I gasped as he moaned. "So cold." I shivered as he guided my hand down his hard shaft. I bit my lip when I felt the head. He whispered a soft "Squeeze me", and I couldn't resist. Ace gasped as I squeezed the head before shivering. I passed my thumb along the top, running my finger over the slit, eliciting a deep moan from him, as well as a little wetness, too. I squeezed again, shivering as he groaned, mumbling "Harder". So I did what he said, and my result was a loud moan as he came.

I sighed as Ace lay on top of me, panting. I was going to seriously hurt the bastard for making me do this to him, though even I had to admit that I'd enjoyed it. That enjoyment went straight to hell when I heard a soft, "Thank you, Takuya." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"You've been awake this entire time, haven't you?" I questioned through clenched jaws. The gently movement of his head on my chest indicated that he was nodding. I sighed and released my anger. No point in getting mad now. It was over. Not that I could to anything about it now. I glanced down at the boy. Or could I?

He sighed as I removed my cum covered hand from his pants. I placed it before his face and simply said, "Suck." I was surprised when he didn't argue and simply took my fingers in his mouth and began to lick and suckle the cum from them.

I removed my fingers from his mouth after awhile and was surprised when they were completely clean of cum. I arched an eyebrow in amusement. He must have enjoyed that.

"Takuya, what time is it?" he whispered, snuggling up against me. I checked my mental clock since I didn't feel like using the spell.

"Almost five," I replied. "Why don't you just go back to sleep? I'll wake you up later." Ace shook his head and removed his person from my body. I sighed when I suddenly became cold. His lack of body heat made the room feel several degrees colder.

"I'm sorry for passing out on top of you, Taku," Ace whispered, the only one who used the nickname. "I got a little emotional last night, huh? I don't completely remember." I responded by wrapping my arms around him.

"Relax, Ace, it's fine. I never realized how hard you were taking this change. Don't worry. They are just as much your family as they were before everything changed."

"But that's not it, though, Taku!" he exclaimed, turning to face me. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me directly in the eyes. I was surprised by the depth of sorrow that filled his deep green eyes. If they were blue, I was sure they would remind me of the ocean, but even with them being green, I was certain that if stared any longer, I would drown in the amount of emotion that was flooding through it. They were bottomless.

Ace broke eye contact and shook his head. "I thought that… Before, when I was still Ron, I thought that I loved Hermione." He looked me in the eyes again. His grip on my shoulders tightened. "I was certain that I was in love with her. When she smiled at me, my heart would skip a beat. Her laughter was like bells to me, something I could listen to all day. When she was hurting, I wanted to make the pain go away; I wanted to hurt the person who made her hurt." He dropped his head again, though I caught the tears as they began to fall. He shook his head. "Taku, I loved her so much that it hurt watching her dance with Viktor Krum last year. It was so painful and gut wrenching. I was so angry and sick with myself for being too late to ask her to the dance that I literally got sick and was in the bathroom for most of the night. I hurt so much.

"But now, during the days since the change, her smile simply makes me smile. That's it. That's all it does. I was scared when I found her laugh ugly. Takuya, I'm beginning to find the girl I've been dreaming of marrying is unattractive, a book worm, and an insufferable know-it-all. She thinks that she knows everything, but doesn't have the experience to go with it, and I find that so annoying." He looked up at me again. This time, the tears were streaming down his face. "Why am I changing? Is it me, or is it her? I don't know anymore." He dropped his head and just held onto my shoulders for support.

As I watched him cry, I couldn't help but feel incredibly helpless. Here was my best friend crying his heart out because he wasn't in love with the girl he'd been in love with since the first year. How could I comfort him during this time? I had no knowledge of love nor any experience with being in love, if you don't count that pathetic little crush I had on Cho Chang last year. Funny, after the change, that disappeared. Was the change affecting more than just our physical appearance? Validore had said something about real personalities. Draco had become more tolerable as Gabe, though.

I removed Ace's hands from my shoulder and pulled him into an embrace. He gripped tightly, causing my pendant to unclasp and fall off. I shook black hair out of my eyes as I held him. He didn't feel as heavy as he had when he was sobbing into my chest the night before. Maybe Harry wasn't as strong as Takuya. It was a possibility that seemed correct.

Ace shifted in my grasp before looking up at me with tear filled eyes. The raw emotion that passed through them was enough to suffocate me, and I wasn't even the one experiencing them. He took my head in his hands, and as he pulled me closer, I knew exactly what he wanted. And I didn't care. I didn't care. I wasn't going to bring myself to care. All I wanted was to help him, to comfort him. This was Ace. My friend. My best friend. He deserved comfort. So when he closed the distance, all I did was close my eyes.

When our lips touched, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped me from the explosion of sensations that suddenly washed over me, drowning me in them. Ace used that gasp as an excuse to further the kiss. His tongue inside my mouth, I couldn't breathe, not that I cared anyway. I wanted this feeling to last forever. I'd never felt anything so strong. Ace pushed me down onto the bed, and I couldn't help but feel as though he were claiming me for his own, making me his in every way. I wanted to be his. I wanted it so much.

Finally, we came up for air, and I realized why Ace was no longer in love with Hermione. With tears in his eyes, he whispered a soft, "I love you," before kissing me again, and again, and again, and again. My body felt so much lighter each time he kissed me, each time he uttered those words.

That was when the clothes came off. He removed my shirt. I removed his. He trailed butterfly kisses down my body, and I traced every muscle that rippled across his skin. Next the pants came off, and then the boxers. I glad I'd thought to put up the silencing ward, for what came next was loud.

* * *

It was eight o'clock when someone finally thought to check in on us. A knock came at the door, which caused us to remove the twins from the list of possible interrupters. They would have just Apparated into the room. A second knock sounded which really drove us away from our, ahem, "activities."

"Harry? Ron? It's time for breakfast!" Hermione called from the other side of the door. "Get dressed and hurry downstairs!" We listened as she disappeared.

I sighed and looked up at Ace, who'd gone still on top of me. He seemed to be battling with his emotions again. I took his face in my hands, wiping away the tears that rolled down his face. He shook my hands away. "I'm so sorry, Takuya," he whispered. "I… I didn't mean to take it this far." He stopped, choked with emotion. "I only used you for my own selfish means. I'm an idiot." I took his face in my hands again and pulled him down to me. I kissed his tears away as he struggled to release himself from my grasp. I wasn't letting him go, though.

"You are the first person to look me right in the eyes and tell me that you love me," I whispered to him. "I love you, Ace, whether you want me to or not. You didn't use me. I _wanted _to comfort you, and that was my way of doing so." Ace tried to shake from my grasp, but I kept him steady. "No! It's the truth. I want you to know that." I kissed several more tears from his face. "Look at me, Ace." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Ace, please." He shook his head. "Azazel, look at me!" I ordered, surprising him. We stared at each other for a moment before I pulled him into a kiss.

Before it could get any further, someone decided to pound on the door. "Harry! Ron! Get your arses downstairs! Mum's got breakfast waiting, and she won't let anyone eat until you're down here! Hurry up!" We waited as Ginny retreated downstairs. I turned back to Ace and kissed him again.

"You didn't use me," I told him once more. I smiled softly. "I enjoyed it, though. Now let's go to breakfast before they decide to break down the door." Ace sighed, defeated, before crawling off of me and searching for his wristband. I grabbed my pendant, only to find the chain broken from when Ace was hugging me too tightly. I mumbled a soft reparo and replaced the pendant around my neck. I got dressed and magically cleaned the sheets and such before helping Ace find his wristband. When he was Ron, I helped him dress before ushering him downstairs to breakfast.

"Blimey!" Bill shouted. "Took you two long enough! We're starving!" I snorted as I sat down.

"You try going to sleep with your ears throbbing!" I snapped, lying seamlessly. "When I finally went to sleep, I had to wake up!" Charlie turned to Ron.

"And what's your excuse?" he questioned. When silence was all that met the question, I turned and looked at Ron who was staring blankly at his plate.

"Ron?" I whispered. Ron shook his head before standing.

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled before he left the kitchen, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

"He's not… hungry?" Ginny questioned.

"Oh sweet Merlin, it's a sign!" Fred shouted. "We're all gonna die!"

"The world is going to end!" George shouted.

"Shut up, you two!" Molly shouted, whacking them in the head with the spatula. She turned her attention to me. "Do you know what's wrong with Ron, Harry? That's the first time I've ever seen him turn down a meal." I gazed at the door Ron had just left out before turning to her and shaking my head.

"I'm not sure, Mrs. Weasley," I responded. "I should go check on him." I made to stand, but Mrs. Weasley quickly dropped me into my chair again.

"No, you stay and eat. I'll go and see what is wrong with Ronald." I watched her as she left the kitchen. I knew that she wasn't going to figure it out.

I scowled and reached for a piece of toast and began to nibble on the corner of it. I wasn't that hungry, either. This didn't go unnoticed by a certain brunette. "Harry, is something wrong?" I almost didn't respond when Hermione talked to me.

"Nothing's wrong," I mumbled. Nothing that you can fix anyway.

Hermione gave me a look that told me she knew that I was a lying. I could care less. It wasn't as if I was going to tell her anyway. "You're lying," she told me.

"I know," was my response, which surprised her.

"Harry, please don't lie to me." I shook my head.

"It's not something you can fix, Hermione. You'd actually make it worse." Again, she seemed surprised by this. "Don't worry. It's a guy thing. Ron will be fine." Hermione scowled.

"But Harry…" I tuned her out and just nibbled on my toast. I vaguely noticed Ginny telling Hermione that I wasn't listening to her before hearing the twins chuckle. Immediately after, I sensed something and threw up a shield spell as a hair color changing came towards me. It connected with the shield. In retaliation, I forced my magic out of me, sending a wave of energy that knocked the twins out of their seats.

"Enough!" I snapped, jumping to my feet. The twins stared up at me in awe and terror. I received similar looks from the others at the table. Hermione was white with fright, as was Ginny. Bill had dropped his toast in his coffee, and Charlie looked at me in amazement. Sirius and Remus had a mixture of awe, horror, and concern on their faces. I ignored all of them and left the room, almost running into Molly as I did.

"My word! Harry! Where are you going?" I didn't answer her but went upstairs. I didn't miss the conversation that followed. "What's wrong with Harry? What happened?"

"Molly, he…he blasted the twins out of their seat using raw magical energy!" Remus sounded amazed. "He did this because the twins sent a hair color changing hex, which he wandlessly blocked! It was amazing!" I wanted to be proud, but I was too angry with them and myself. Them for forcing me to use such force to get them to shut up. Me for not having the restraint enough to ignore them.

I reached the bedroom I shared with Ron and wandlessly removed the locking charm on it. Once inside, I replaced it. Ron was Ace again. He was sitting on his bed wrapped in the white covers, crying uncontrollably. I removed my own pendant before casting a silencing charm and wrapping Ace in my arms. He struggled, of course, but I was stronger than him despite my size.

"Let me go, Taku!" he shouted as he tried to fight my grip. "Let me go! I don't deserve comfort! I'm an idiot! I used you! I'm so stupid!" I knew that as he tried to fight me, that wasn't all he was crying about, though. He crying for not being Molly and Arthur's real son. He was crying for not truly being a part of their family, for lying to them for fifteen years about who he really was, even though he didn't know until just now. He was crying because his entire life up until my birthday had been a sham. A fake. It hadn't been his to live. He wasn't Ronald Weasley. He wasn't Molly and Arthur's youngest son. He wasn't a part of this family, and no amount of pretending was ever going to change that.

The first few days had been fine, but now, everything was coming back full force. Ace fought with me to be free of my grip. He didn't want my comfort, didn't think that he deserved it. I kept a good grip on him, though. He was drowning in emotions that he'd never felt with such intensity.

While he was crying, while I held him, several people came up to the door, trying to get inside. First, Molly tried to get inside, but I held the locking charm tight on the door. After her came Arthur, who tried a different approach.

"Harry, Ron, could you please open the door?" he said. "I just wish to talk to you." He was met with silence. He tried this again but was once more met with silence. He left soon after only to be replaced with Hermione.

"Harry, Ron, please talk to us," she pleaded to the door. "Mrs. Weasley is worried about you two. Neither of you ate breakfast, and it's stressing her. Please talk to us." I gently kissed Ace on the cheek before releasing him. I replaced my glamour and opened the door just enough for me to squeeze through.

"Hermione, please," I told her. "Ron isn't…" I stopped. I couldn't explain it, or think up a good excuse. "Please just leave us alone, Hermione. Please." Hermione was a loss for words, but she did exactly what I didn't want her to do. Her facial expression changed to one that I saw far too often. Her stubbornness was mind-blowing.

"Harry, you are my best friend," she said. "So is Ron. Whatever you two are going through, I want to help. Either you let me in, or I will break down the door myself." She glared at me, and I couldn't help but shake my head in weary amusement. This girl…she was exasperating.

"Hermione please," I pleaded with her, one last time, just noticing the crowd we were receiving at the bottom of the stairs.

"No! I care about Ron, too! I want to know what's going on!" she shouted. Finally, I snapped.

"You can't help!" I shouted, causing her to take several steps back. "Hermione, you are my best friend, but right now, you can't help with what's going on!" I took her by the shoulders and locked green eyes with brown. "Hermione, if Ron saw you right now, he'd…" I shook my head. "You'd make it worse than it is now. Don't ask me why. I can't tell you. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it." My voice became softer. "You would only make matters worse. Ron is… He's not himself right now, and you'd just make that worse. Especially you. Please. Ron needs time to find himself. He's confused. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Please don't try to come in again, or I will use force." I released her, shot a glare towards everyone downstairs, and returned to the room.

Inside, I wrapped my arms around a more compliant Ace and held him like that. I kissed his tears away, rubbing his back gently, trying to soothing him. I played with his hair, brushed my fingers along his neck, hugged him closer to me. He cried into my chest, and I was okay with it. I didn't care. Ace was my friend, and I'd do anything for him.

"Ace, I am your friend," I whispered into his ear, kissing it gently. "If you need comfort, that's why I'm here. Please use me. I don't want to see you cry. It hurts me when you cry." Ace shook his head against my chest. He didn't want a repeat of earlier, no matter how much _I _wanted it.

I removed his face my chest and lifted him to eyes level. His eyes were closed, and he was adamantly whispering, "Please don't, Takuya. Don't. Don't. Don't. Please." I did, anyway. I pulled him into a kiss that sent his body rigid before he relaxed. I gently began to kiss him all over his face.

"Ace, I love you so much," I whispered to him. "You aren't the only one who is suffering from this change. The twins are." I kissed. "Gelly is." I kissed him again. "Gabe is." Another kiss. "And so am I." This time, I held the kiss longer. "You're not the only one suffering." I kissed the tear that fell from his eyes, biting my lip at that salty taste. "You're afraid of what would happen if they found out about who we really are. We all are. That's why we have to stick together. Don't try to hide your feelings. Don't blame yourself. You had no control."

Ace gripped my tighter as I kissed him again. "I love you, Takuya," he whispered, placing his head against my chest. "I really do." I sighed and leaned back in the bed. It was awhile before we fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

I awoke to the sound of soft arguing in my room. I waved it off as the twins and tried to go back to sleep, but the people arguing in my room didn't seem to want me to drift off again.

"Sirius, who are they?" one voice hissed. The twins were definitely not in our bedroom.

"Remus, hush before you wake them, dammit! I'll explain!" Sirius whispered harshly.

"How can you explain two boys who are obviously not Ron and Harry? Where are they?"

"Shut up! Give me a minute, okay? Everything will be clear in a moment." Remus mumbled something under his breath which I was unable to catch. I was still lingering between unawareness and awareness, so my senses were dulled dramatically, and I was just barely able to make out their hushed arguing.

A floorboard creaked near the bed, signaling that one of them was approaching. A pair of cold hands brushed against my left cheek, causing me to shiver. Gentle tapping against my cheeks caused me finally become awake enough to open my eyes. I was met with the sight of a worried Sirius.

"Can I help you?" I mumbled softly, closing my eyes again to go back to sleep. Sirius gently tapped me again, and I opened my eyes. "Wha?" Sirius's expression changed to one of concerned amusement.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted me. "It's almost dinner time. Molly and Arthur were worried about you." I stared at him before blinking slowly, just barely able to open my eyes again. "Your warding is rather impressive, too. It took Remus an hour to remove the ward you placed on the door." I'd put up a ward? It was a moment before I remembered that I'd read up on that a particularly strong ward to keep people from entering the room, though it stemmed from a simple locking spell. I blinked blearily.

"Yeah, sure." Sirius chuckled.

"You need to wake up, kiddo. Remus wants some answers." I blinked at him again. Remus was in the room right now? I glanced around Sirius to find the confused form of Remus standing there. I blinked, undaunted by his appearance for a moment before my mind finally snapped awake and realized the severity of the situation. Remus was here! He was in the room with us! He was in the room with Ace and I as ourselves! I turned to Sirius and glared at him. He held up his hands.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear, Takuya," he responded.

"Is that your name? Takuya?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Sirius turned to his best friend and tried to calm his suspicion.

"Relax, Remus, its fine," he told him. "I can explain everything." Remus glared at him.

"Well, then? Start explaining!" Sirius winced at the sharpness of his voice. I scowled.

"I'll explain," I stated before Sirius could begin. "I'm Takuya Takahashi, but for the past fifteen years of my life, I've as Harry James Potter." That's how I began my story.

When I was finished explaining myself and Ace, Remus looked shocked as well as grieved. I couldn't help but feel sorrow as well. He'd just found out that his best friend's son wasn't even his son. I'd be sad at that as well. In fact, I was sorrowed by the thought that I'd taken his godson from him.

"So you're Haruo's son?" Remus whispered. I was just able to catch his question. I nodded. Remus sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. "So James and Lily never had a son?" I nodded again. "But how is that possible? I remember clearly the day you were born!"

"Magic can do miracles," I whispered softly. "The sorceress used a memory charm, adding a year of my life to your memory in order to make it seem more real." Remus bit his lip and shook his head.

"I can't believe that… that for fifteen years, I'd believed that Harry was real, but in fact, he was a figment of my imagination," he whispered. "He was never real. Just a role you played to remain safe." I stared at him, shocked. Sirius was shocked as well.

"Now, Remus, Takuya didn't even _know _that he wasn't really Harry until before the Order picked him up!" Sirius exclaimed, causing me to hush him. Ace shifted slightly, snuggling more into my chest. "None of them knew that they weren't really who they thought they were! It's not their fault!"

"I really didn't even want to become Takuya," I whispered, gaining their attention. "I was reluctant to change. I knew who I was as Harry Potter. I knew who my friends were and who my family was. I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I got older. I knew myself completely. Learning that I wasn't who I thought I was shattered me. I couldn't handle it. I wanted them to send me back. I wanted to forget that I had ever found out about who I really was. I just wanted to be Harry again. Just Harry Potter." I paused. "But when I found out that I would be Obliviated, that my friends would be taken away from me, I couldn't go through with it. I didn't want to be alone. The thought of being ignorant and defenseless scared me. I didn't want that." I looked up at Remus. "I'm sorry if I fooled you for so long, but you're not the only one affected by this. I just found out that for all of my life, I've been lying to friends about who I really was, whether I knew I was lying or not. I just found out that my life was a fake. You can be angry and hurt all you want, but you don't have to go through what I'm dealing with. What all of us are dealing with." I clutched Ace tighter to me, and he shifted in my embrace, murmuring my name. "The change scares us. We're alone without anyone we can talk to about it. I've never felt so alone in my life."

We sat in silence after that. Remus stared at me with such a mixed array of emotions that I couldn't pick any specific ones out. Sirius looked downtrodden, defeated. What was he so depressed about? Could it possibly have something to do with what we had to go through? I didn't want sympathy. I just wanted understand. I never wanted any of this. If it were possible, I would separate myself from Harry and leave him with them before returning to my own family, but that wasn't going to happen. We were stuck with this. I was both Harry and Takuya, both personas fighting for dominance in one body, and I was certain that Takuya was winning.

Ace shifted in my arms again, and I finally came to the realization that he was awake. I glanced down to find his face wet, and chest soaked with tears. He was crying again, only I was certain it was because of my speech I had made. He clutched my tighter, taking my breath away, literally.

"Why is this happening to us?" Ace cried out, surprising Remus and Sirius from their stupors. "I was fine with being Ron Weasley, the youngest son, and sixth child of the Weasley clan. I was fine being nothing more than Harry's sidekick. I didn't care. I was happy. I had a family that loved me, and friends that would stick up for me no matter what. Now, I'm someone that I don't even know. My personality is a complete three-sixty of what it was before. I don't even know who I am, anymore!" I kissed his hair as he cried into my chest. "I just want to go back to being Ron!"

"And lie to people about who you really are?" Remus shouted, jumping to his feet. There was different in his eyes now. I saw a fire blaze behind them. A shiver ran down my spine. "You can't do that! I was wrong to that I'd spent half my life believing that Harry was my godson. Harry still is my godson. Takuya is Harry. He will always be Harry, just as you will always be Ron. I know that you are probably changing, both physically and mentally, but you will always be Ron Weasley." Ace stared at the older man in shock.

Ace lifted himself from me and sat on the bed beside me, eyes closed. "My entire body is changing," he whispered. "I hate it. I thought I was done with changing. Now I have to go through this."

"You're not alone, Ace," I told him. "I'm still getting used to this, too, ya know." He snorted.

"I suppose, but you don't have parents who are alive to disappoint," he responded. I pouted. "Don't do that!"

"Lily and James are very much alive!" I snapped, hopping out of bed. I rushed over to my trunk, which I popped open, removed my backpack, and removed the two portraits of James and Lily. I positioned them on the wall above the bed before unfreezing them.

"Could you do that a little more often, kiddo?" James questioned, stretching out the kinks. "Staying in one position for too long isn't really healthy, even if I _am _just a portrait." Remus and Sirius gasped before rushing forward.

"Well, I'll be damned," Sirius mumbled, a stupid smile spreading across his face. "Why didn't you tell us that you had portraits made?"

"They were supposed to be a fifteenth, no, eighteenth birthday present for Takuya," Lily responded. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Ace. "My word, you look just like Azrael! You don't look a thing like your mother, Azazel, or is it Ace? I'm not certain."

"It doesn't matter, Lily," Ace responded as I wiped away a stray tear. Lily frowned as she caught sight of it.

"I know this is very difficult for you, Azazel, but trust me. You'll begin to never want to become Ron again." Ace snorted and nodded.

"Some part of me will always want to be Ron, but I'm just going to have to get used to being Ace, huh?" I scowled at him.

"Why is it that you get it only after two other people say it to you?" I snapped. Ace smiled at me before leaning in and kissing me.

"I love you, Taku," he whispered. I glared at him.

"Nice try." He grinned in response. This was infuriating!

"Playing for the other team, son?" James questioned, smirking. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"No, I'm playing for both," I responded. "A vampire can't be picky about his next meal." Ace glared at me before his look changed to one of contemplation. "What?"

"You haven't actually drunk from anyone since you've been changed, have you?" he questioned. I paused. Now that he mentioned it, I hadn't felt the need to drink blood since I'd become Takuya. I didn't even know what it felt like to need blood in the first place, so how would I know if I needed to drink blood or not? I voiced these thoughts and gained silence in response.

"Maybe it's because of you werewolf side," Lily mentioned, causing Remus to spin around towards me quickly.

"Werewolf?" he questioned. "You can't be a werewolf. The full moon was two days ago. You didn't show any sign of changing!"

"You must remember, Remus," James said. "Haruo wasn't like the werewolves here. He preferred to call his race lycans because they were able to change at will." At will? I was able to take on a wolf form at will? I wondered what that would be like but decided to save that for later. I wanted to find out more about my vampire side, but there was another problem at hand.

"Remus, you can't tell _anyone _about this," I said to him. "No one, but Sirius know about us not being who we used to be. You can't tell _anyone. _Not even Dumbledore." This earned me a curious expression.

"Why not Dumbledore?" he questioned. Sirius growled, causing Remus to jump.

"Dumbledore illegally made Harry his ward, and placed him into the Dursley residence against Lily and James's wishes," he growled.

"There could be a reasonable explanation for this," Remus replied.

"He manipulated Harry for years. Have you not heard about some of the trouble Harry has gotten into over the years? Some of that stuff, Dumbledore could have prevented. He's supposed to be an all powerful wizard for God's sake! He could have stopped Harry from even participating in the Triwizard Tournament, and you know it!" Remus scowled.

"Yes, I've had my doubts about Dumbledore. I'm sure the only people that completely trust him are some of the Order members, the Weasleys, and Hermione." He sighed. "I just never thought that the old coot would take it so far. I mean, he let me finish my schooling and gave me a job. I owe him so much. I don't think I could keep this from him." Sirius looked ready to plead with his best friend.

"Remus, you have no idea how dangerous this information is," I cut in. "If anyone found out that Harry Potter was half werewolf and half vampire, I would be hunted after by everyone for several different reasons. Even more, if anyone ever found out that Harry Potter was really Takuya Takahashi, I'd have the people who were after me before on my ass within days. Hell, there's a likelihood that they'd team up with Voldemort just to get at me! My life will be over! I'd have to go on the run and everything! I'd be in constant danger!" Remus sighed, suddenly looking older than his age.

"I understand the dangers, but…" He hesitated, and it looked as though it would cause him pain to finish his statement. "Dumbledore has me under oath." We stared him. "He put me under oath after I was forced to tell him about my problem. It's not a matter of whether I want to tell him or not. I have no choice." Sirius growled.

"How dare that old man do that to you?" he shouted. "I'd always wonder how I'd get caught so easily in school. He'd found a way to force you to give all secrets!"

"Was it Unbreakable?" Lily questioned. Remus nodded, defeated. Lily hummed in thought. "You can't break an Unbreakable Vow, but you can cancel it." We all looked at her.

"Cancel it? How?" I questioned. Lily trained her gaze onto me, and I realized just how unnerving it was to be gazed at by Killing Curse green eyes.

"Well, it requires a large knowledge of ancient runes and magic," Lily responded. "The only people with that type of knowledge are myself and Narcissa Black." I glanced over at Ace before turning to Sirius, a large grin growing on myself. Bingo.

"Remus, have you ever been to Greece?" I questioned, earning a confused look from him. That was when I explained what really happened that day the twins, Sirius, and I disappeared. The end result was a shocked Remus, and the trip of a lifetime. I gave him an all expenses paid trip to Greece to stay at my villa while Narcissa cancelled out the Unbreakable Vow. The downside was that he would have to leave now, and never come back until I said it was safe.

"But Dumbledore might come looking for me," he stated, but I shook my head.

"As soon as Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda get comfortable, I will have them put up a Fidelius charm around the villa and my other properties. There is nothing to worry about, Remus. Dumbles won't find out." Remus turned to Lily and James, hoping for some comfort amidst this sudden change.

"Don't worry, Remus. James will go with you," Lily said calmly, earning a surprised "What?" from James. "Come on, dear. I'm sure Remus would enjoy your company. Plus, Takuya really need my assistance now. Just go with Remus." James pouted. Even I had to admit that it was kind of cute.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm going to always be there!" James shouted. "Expect me in this frame from time to time just to bother you!" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say, dear." I snorted before picking up my pendant.

"Gabe? Gabe, can you hear me?" I called, earning a confused look from Remus. I shook my head.

"Yeah, Takuya? What do you need?" was the response.

"How are the girls doing?"

"They're settled. Narcissa has placed a Fidelius charm around the villa already. She's Secret Keeper."

"Good. I have a request, though. Think you guys could take one more?"

"The villa is huge, Takuya. We can fit at least thirty more people in here."

"Good, because I'm sending Remus there."

"Remus Lupin? Our ex-professor?"

"Yeah, him. Let me talk to Cissie." There was a silence for moment.

"Takuya, what is this I hear about Remus coming?" she questioned.

"It's for his own protection. Dumbledore has him under the Unbreakable Oath. We need it canceled."

Narcissa gave out a thoughtful hum. "A challenge. Yes, I'm certain that can be arranged. Before we left for Greece, my sisters and I decided to rob my ex-husband of some things."

"Some things?"

"Everything." She laughed. "We robbed him silly. He can't report it either because the books we stole were dark. Lucius was and still is an idiot. Anyway, I found an interesting runic chain in one particular book. I believe that it should help with this problem. Dumbledore placed the oath on him?"

"Yes."

"I wouldn't put it past him to have a tracker on him or his wand. I know how to fix that as well, though they should be removed before he gets here." I turned to Remus, who was rather pale at this new information.

"Hold still," I advised him before allowing my magic to flow over him. He indeed did have a tracker on him, both on his core and his wand. I contorted my energy around him before locking onto the trackers. I'd read this in one of my books. To destroy a magical tracker, overload with another energy source. With this in mind, I sent a surge of magic into the trackers, shattering them, but leaving Remus weak. He collapsed to his knees, sweating, slightly pained from the removal of the tracker on his magical core.

"Tracker has been removed," I informed Narcissa. She hummed.

"Alright." The line went quiet for a moment. "Send Remus to the Hog's Head. I'll meet him there." I scowled.

"He could be intercepted."

"Trust me. He won't." I frowned and gazed up at Remus.

"Head straight to the Hog's Head. Go directly there from here. Don't stop for Dumbledore. Do you understand?" Remus nodded.

"Dumbledore is away on some business, anyway. He won't be back until the next Order meeting. You have nothing to worry about." He smiled wanly at me. I quickly embraced him.

"Take James. We'll see you soon, okay?" Remus nodded, grabbed James's portrait, froze it, and shrunk it, placing it into his pocket. He left, leaving Sirius with Ace and I.

"Let's just hope that he gets there." I don't Sirius could have summed up our thoughts any clearer.


	16. Chapter 16

Read and review. (In no particular order)

* * *

Remus did make it, which was a blessing because the next day, Dumbledore returned. Lily had warned me about him. He was a Legilimens, which meant that he could pretty much read our minds. Because we had yet to form mental shields, Lily advised us to not look him in the eyes, and if we ever felt something probing our minds, to try to shut it out, or hide what we knew and were thinking. Our best bet of him never finding out what was on our minds was to avoid him completely, which is exactly what we did. It was easy, too, because Molly had put the twins, Ron, Sirius, and I on lock-down. We were to remain in our rooms all day and only leave for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I wasn't surprised when she forced Sirius into this.

The day Dumbledore returned had been a surprise to me, because Molly was adamant on none of us having visitors to the point where she even told Dumbledore that he couldn't see me. I couldn't stop the grin forming on my face when she said this. It worked out perfectly with our plans of avoiding him. Her lock-down idea worked perfectly for us, too. We spent most of our holidays studying.

Several weeks after our change found Ace and I sitting quietly in our room. Ace was staring intently at the door as he went through the steps of placing a runic locking charm on it before slowly removing it. His affinity for runes was brilliant despite his weak ability with wandless magic. He routinely performed this charm to help strengthen his ability and to better understand runes.

I was busy reading one of the weird books I'd found in my family's vault. Lily had revealed what language it was written in. It was ancient Aramaic, the language of the wolves. I'd never known that werewolves had their own language, but then it didn't surprise me much since they were their own species. She'd also told me that ancient Greek was the language of the vampires. I wondered why I was able to understand Aramaic, but not Greek, only for her to tell me that Aramaic was an inherited ability, whereas reading and speaking Greek was something that all vampires had to learn.

At the moment, Lily was going through the steps of the locking charm with Ace, having become his new favorite teacher. Her knowledge of runes was amazing. She'd even confided in me that she'd found ancient tribal runes as well as found a way to become an animagus through runes. Her notes were tucked away deep in the Potter vault. I promised her to make sure that I'd find them. I couldn't help but be impressed by this. Lily was a genius. She was beyond genius. She was one of the smartest witches to ever live, besides Ravenclaw, of course. It was a shame she died so young, though.

I continued to read, learning more and more about rituals that the wolves used to perform. I came upon one that would be useful in the near future. It spoke of the wizarding werewolves, how their disease was a cursed placed on them by an alpha wolf that'd been mistreated by the wizards. It was originally supposed to turn the wizard into a wolf, but the wizard's magic mutated the curse, turning him into the wizarding world's version of a werewolf. The ritual focused on changing the mutated wolf's DNA and stabilizing it so that they would have a more wolf like appearance as well give them the ability to change whenever they wished and removed the moon's ability to force them into a change. Remus would love this. I made notes of it in my journal.

A knock came to the door suddenly. I quickly closed both books and shoved them into my trunk while Ace put on his wristband, becoming Ron again, and freezing Lily's portrait before shrinking it and stuffing it into his pocket. I rose from the bed while pulling on my pendant. I paused before I touched the door, pointing at it to Ron in a way to signify if he'd unlocked it. I noted the look of surprise before he undid the locking charm. I opened the door and was face to face with a flustered Hermione.

"Have you seen the Daily Prophet?" she questioned, holding up the paper. I shook my head.

"I've been in my room for like forever, Hermione. I haven't been able to read anything other than last year's textbooks." She shoved her way into the room and hopped onto the bed. She held up the paper.

"'Dumbledore illegal guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived,'" she read. "'An anonymous tip lead Ministry investigators to uncover that Dumbledore illegally made himself the guardian of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. They also discovered that he more than likely forced Harry into claiming that Voldemort returned in order to coerce the public into believing his own statement. Even more shocking was the discovery of Harry Potter's living arrangements. Against the law placed by the Ancient Families, Harry was placed into a family of Muggles, stunting his growth in magic and common pureblood politics, an insult to the Potter name. The Ministry wishes to charge Dumbledore on several counts, but the great wizard has fled from the country. For more information, look on page 5.'" Hermione stared at me in disbelief. "Where did the Ministry come up with such absurd evidence?"

"Actually, as stated by my account manager at Gringotts, Dumbledore really did illegally make himself my guardian," I stated calmly. Hermione stared at me.

"And when did you go to Gringotts?" She paused, realizing her question. "Oh yes, I remember. When you left with Sirius and the twins. But who brought this to the Ministry?" I shrugged.

"You know the goblins like causing the Ministry trouble, Hermione," Ron mumbled from where he was on his bed playing a round of chess against the chess pieces. "They'll 'leak' information as long as it tarnishes some important person's image. Actually, their leaking that could be a good thing for Harry."

"How could it be good?" Hermione questioned, her hands on her hips. Ron was quiet as he moved his queen.

"Checkmate," he announced, earning a groan from some of the chess pieces before they began to reorganize themselves in preparation for another game. "Harry's reputation is being tarnished because he claimed Voldemort was returning."

"Which he is," Hermione pointed out.

"True, but the Ministry doesn't want to hear it, so they've been running a smear campaign. With this new information, it could be safe to assume that since he was forced, Harry's reputation will go back up, driving Dumbledore's further down. It's a rather interesting political move. It's an advantage. Why waste it?"

"But Ronald that would be lying!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked.

"Think of politics like chess. You have to sacrifice someone to get a checkmate. So we sacrifice Dumbledore so that Harry can have a better chance at defeating Voldemort."

"What does politics have to do with Harry defeating Voldemort?"

"The more people who believe him, the more people will be willing to join his side to help him fight. Duh." Hermione stared at him. Even I was surprised by his explanation and response. It made sense as well as make Ron look incredibly smart. What happened to laying low?

"I just can't have a smart moment, can I?" Ron mumbled before saying checkmate, winning another game against his own pieces. Hermione shook her head.

"I still don't like what is going on," she announced as she rose to leave the room. "Harry, I think that you should just tell the truth. Lying is wrong." She slammed the door shut. Ron locked, removing his wristband.

"Well, that was nice," Ace mumbled, still into his game. "I don't feel guilty, though."

"Neither do I." We returned to what we were doing before.

* * *

Summer passed quickly and before we knew it, we were sitting on the train waiting for it pulled out of the station. Ron sat beside me, looking extremely bored as he stared out of the window. Hermione was jabbering on and on to Ginny about how Sirius has suddenly been proven innocent. I couldn't help but smile as I read my book of Greek spells. It had been a surprise to most, especially after Ron and Hermione were made prefects. We were just happy that Sirius didn't have to be locked inside that house for the rest of the year.

Ron and Hermione excused themselves as Neville entered the compartment. Ginny left to search for a friend of hers, leaving Neville and I alone. "What did you grandmother do?" I questioned. Neville scowled and stared out of the window.

"She yelled at me, called me a poor excuse of a grandson, and told me my parents would be extremely disappointed in me," he responded distantly, coldly. I could tell that he'd taken those words to heart. He sat up and turned to me. "Do you really think that my parents would be disappointed in? I'm pathetic! I can't make a potion to save my life, let alone cast a spell to save my life. I'm worthless!"

"You are not worthless, Gelly," I responded. "You're just untrained. This year, I'll train you myself. Understood?"

"But how can you train a person like me? I can't do anything right."

"Wrong. You're afraid. Several things scare you into acting as you do now. Snape's constant breathing down your neck has made you terrible at potions. Your grandmother's high expectations cause you to try too hard and make errors. What you need to do is forget about them, and I'll help you. We all will." Neville sighed and nodded.

"Have you spoken to Gabe?" he questioned. I smirked before telling him everything that had happened this summer with us. He scowled. "You guys always have the most fun." The scowl deepened. "You helped Bellatrix Lestrange?" I was surprised by how coldly he said her name.

"Yes, she was under the effects of the Imperius curse for most of her life. She didn't know what she was doing. She had the mind of a seventeen year old in a forty something body. Of course I would help her." Neville growled before turning towards the window again.

"That woman…she tortured my parents into insanity," he whispered. My eyes widened. I hadn't known that.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know…" I stumbled. Neville shook his head.

"If what you said was true, then I can only hold the Lestranges accountable for Frank and Alice's murder, which I will. I won't harm Bellatrix. I'll just point my hatred in another direction." The calm way of how he said it made me nervous. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

The compartment door opened again and in slid Draco. I arched an eyebrow. He shook his head. "All of the Slytherins are out to get me. Ever since the Black sisters divorced their husbands and Narcissa took me with her, I'm no longer considered a Slytherin. Well, most of the Slytherins don't want me sitting with them. I couldn't find Blaise so I just thought I'd squeeze in here." He frowned. "That's not a problem is it?"

"Only if you know a way to explain it to the others," Neville said.

"Let's just say that we've come to an agreement," Draco stated. "We're not completely friends, but we're not enemies." I shrugged.

"I guess. I mean, you're not living with your father anymore, so that makes your tolerable. Let's just say that Narcissa beat some sense into you. Public apology?" Draco scowled.

"Public alliance," he corrected. "I'm not apologizing. It goes against Draco's personality." I shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm not apologizing either. Let's just go with the friend/rival thing, okay?" He shrugged.

"Whatever."

"How are the girls doing?"

"Fine, actually. Remus was a little wary of them, but warmed up to them quickly. Narcissa canceled out the oath and has taken to brewing Wolfbane potion for him every month. She's also planning on trying the ritual you sent her on him as well as performing an age reduction ritual. There's just one problem."

"Which is?"

"Bellatrix's mind is unstable. She has a split personality. The ritual might cause her Lestrange personality to return. Also, the dark magic she used to use constantly has nearly destroyed her mind. We're unable to figure out exactly what to do, though Narcissa did like the idea that you sent her. She said that it was possible to separate Bella from Lestrange and use that part of her mind to create a new soul to place into a doll's body. There's a problem with that, too. If you separate Bella from Lestrange, there is a possibility that Lestrange will awake and take complete control of Bella's old body."

"So we destroy the body after we extract Bella's mind from it."

"We thought about that, too, but then there came the issue of knowledge. Lestrange holds most of Bella's magical knowledge."

"So we extract that knowledge from her and place it into Bella's mind."

"There's the issue of accidentally taken some of Lestrange with you during the extraction. There are too many mistakes that could occur if one of us did the extracting. We need a mast Occlumens for this, and the only ones we are aware of are Dumbledore, Snape, and Voldemort. Unless one of us manages to become an Occlumens during the year, it's not going to work."

"Why during the year?" Neville questioned. Draco bit his lip.

"Bellatrix's body is deteriorating at an alarming rate. She only has a year or so before it fails completely. Narcissa and Andromeda are doing everything they can to slow down the deterioration. Narcissa is researching potions while Andromeda has been performing high level healing spells. Remus has been searching through the books Narcissa stole from Lucius. With what they've found, they've extended her life by mere months. We don't know what to do. We're panicking here!"

"We may be able to find something in the Hogwarts library," I replied, biting my lip. "Bella just returned to herself. She can't just die so soon." I stared out the window, thinking as hard as possible.

"Maybe we could look through our libraries," Neville suggested. "The vaults have tons of books. We might be able to find something."

"How are we going to be able to sneak out of Hogwarts? It's impossible!" Draco exclaimed.

"We could use the floo," Neville suggested. "That's all I've got. I'm sorry." I shook my head.

"You don't need to apologize." I shook my head. "Damn, this is bad." They nodded in agreement. What were we going to do?

We sat in silence, thinking of ways to help save Bellatrix. Creating a doll was the only option, but that took months to accomplish, and we didn't have months. Bella didn't have months. Draco slammed his head against the wall in frustration. His aunt was dying, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

After a moment, the compartment door opened, and the compartment was thrown into chaos. "Why is _he _here?" Ginny shouted as she walked into the room with a dreamy blonde in tow, followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Well, I'm obviously sitting, so maybe that's it," Draco responded sarcastically, not in the mood for her attitude.

"Ginny, Draco is sitting with us because we came to a mutual agreement," I said. "Since his mother divorced his father and took him with her, he's become more tolerable. Hopefully because she beat some sense into him." Draco glared at me, but didn't respond. I ignored him. "Anyway, we've decided to put away our differences and become… well, not exactly friends, but you get the idea." Hermione shoved her way into the compartment, looking rather proud.

"That was very mature of you, Harry," she responded, casting a slight glare at Draco, which he returned. "I do hope that this agreement extends to friends as well." Draco scowled.

"I'll tolerate you to some extent, Granger," he spat, "but don't think that I'll just sit back whenever you go into your know-it-all rants. My patience isn't that good." Ron looked ready to explode, but managed to contain himself as he dropped onto the seat between Neville and I. His face was a rather interesting shade of red. It took me a moment to realize that he was blushing instead of glowing red with anger. What was he thinking about?

Ginny looked positively annoyed. "I'll only tolerate you because it was Harry's idea," she snapped, dropped down beside me. "Harry, this is my friend Luna Lovegood." Draco snorted.

"Loony Luna?" he questioned, earning a glare from Ginny.

"Don't you dare call her that, you Death Eater's brat!" she snapped. Draco went from amused to enraged so quickly that I realized that it was real.

"Don't you dare categorize me under the same title as my father," he hissed. "I want nothing to do with accursed man after what he's done to my mother. I am _not _my father, and never will be." The compartment lapsed into a surprised silence. Luna smiled dreamily at him.

"I haven't heard such conviction from you since we were little, Draconis," she said calmly, earning a soft smile from Draco.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it, Loony?" he questioned. I'm pretty sure everyone had to do a double take.

"You two know each other?" I questioned. Luna nodded.

"Draco and I used to play together when my mother was still alive," she replied. "My mother and his were friends. When my mother died, the play-dates stopped." Draco nodded.

"Well, isn't that lovely," Ginny commented blandly. I arched an eyebrow. Was she jealous? This sparked an argument between her and Draco. That's how spent our train ride. I didn't think it could get any more animated than it was now.

* * *

To put the beginning of the year banquet tactfully, I'd say that it had been interesting. Sarcastically, it was _great. _To tell the truth, it was loud, messy, and the new DADA teacher was ugly as fuck, but that's just my opinion, which everyone else agrees with. Her name was Dolores Umbridge, and she looked like a pig in those ugly pink robes.

With Dumbledore currently on the run, McGonagall was acting as headmistress. She did an even better job than Dumbledore did during feasts like this. The Gryffindor table was in an uproar, blaming me for accusing Dumbledore of forcing me to claim that Voldemort had returned. Seamus and Dean took a special hatred towards me, but I ignored them. I had better things to do. With Dumbledore out of the picture, I didn't necessarily have to worry about him finding out about what was going on with me and the others. His disappearance was a relief, but of course, new problems had to surface to take the place of the one involving him.

"Harry," Ron whispered to me later that night in the common room after everyone, including Hermione, had left. I was sitting in front of the fireplace, just gazing at the flames that danced. It was rather entrancing to watch, though I was unsure of why I was doing so exactly.

I turned to Ron in a slight stupor, hypnotized by the flames. "Yeah?" I questioned dumbly. Ron gave me a slight whack on the head, and I was able to think clearly again. "Ow, what?"

"Gabe," he whispered before performing a silencing ward. "He won't last in the Slytherin dorms. He's not safe, anymore. They'll kill him." I scowled.

"I've been thinking about that since he told us on the train," I confessed. "But I'm not sure of where else he could stay. Hogwarts has many rooms. It's a castle for god's sake. The problem is where could he stay at that no one would find?"

Ron collapsed on the floor beside me. "Damn, this is going to be tough. He can't stay in there for too long, though. Plus, I'm certain that Snape reports to his father."

"Of course, they were classmates at one time. I'm certain that they probably had some sort of bond, though weak. Not only that, but they're on the same side. If Lucius wanted information about his son, I'm certain that Snape would tell him, with him being his teacher and everything." I paused. "But Snape is also his head of house. He'd know if Draco wasn't staying there. I mean, most of the Slytherins are out to get him. This might be tough."

"Probably impossible." I sat back and sighed. "We have to keep him safe. He's our friend."

"Just barely, but I get your point. We'd be just like the Death Eaters. We need to protect our own." We went to bed after that. I was certain that he was thinking the same thing. The longer Gabe remained near the Slytherins, the more likely he would die. We needed to stop that, and soon.

* * *

I stifled a yawn as I waited for my first class to end. Could Binns _get _any more boring? Yeah, sure History of Magic is interesting, but I'd rather read it by myself that have to listen to an hour and a half of monotone droning coming from the world's dullest ghost. I didn't think it was possible to make something like the giant wars so uninteresting, yet he did it! I wanted to drop my head on my desk and fall asleep, or better yet, manage to knock myself unconscious. This class was just that boring! I'd only been sitting at my desk for ten minutes!

As my eyes became heavy and I drifted off, the image of Draco from this morning entered my mind, effectively waking me up. He'd looked terrible. He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep most likely, his hair was a mess, and he had several bruises covering his body, though I was certain that those were only the ones that were visible. How could Snape condone such violence in his own house? Oh yeah, that right, he's an asshole and a prick, as well as a Death Eater. Stuff like this was natural.

Now that I was wide awake again, my mind drifted to ways of helping Gabe. This was difficult because I had no idea of how to pull it off. Where could he go that was safe enough for him to sleep as well as for him to sneak to if he ever needed to get away? The Chamber of Secret immediately popped into my mind, and I mentally berated myself for not thinking about that before. The Chamber was the safest place in Hogwarts because it was so difficult to find and open. He'd be all right down there. Was the basilisk still down there, though? How would that look after three years?

The rest of the class went by quickly as I thought about the Chamber. I ran over several cleaning spells in my head while imagining exactly what I would find after three long years. The thought of going anywhere near a rotting basilisk almost made me shudder before the image of the dead rat Dudley had placed in my room one summer came to the front of my mind. I nearly gagged as I remembered the stench that thing had made after remaining in my room for the entire school year. Was I going to be returning to that?

"I think we need a new History teacher," I stated as we left the classroom after the bell. "I'm absolutely certain that the giant wars would have been much more interesting if it weren't for the person teaching the class. I highly believe that I am more likely to this class simply because it is so _boring._" Ron yawned, rubbing his eyes as we left the classroom.

"Blimey, that was ridiculous. That class will put me to sleep and then I'll fail Potions because I can't concentrate," he complained. "Thank Merlin for the break in between." Hermione huffed, annoyed by our attitudes.

"Maybe if you two paid attention in class, that wouldn't be a problem. Yes, Harry, I did see you staring off into space. It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention." I scowled. Had Hermione ever been this annoying?

"For someone who is telling me to pay attention in class, you sure did pay enough attention to notice that my mind was somewhere else," I snapped. Hermione glared at me before huffing away. Ron and I watched her leave.

"Do you think she's mad?" Ron questioned.

"No duh," I mumbled as we continued walking towards the courtyard, where we were planning to spend our break.

"Hello, Harry!" I spun around to find Cho Chang walking towards me. She was alone for once, which was highly unusual seeing as she was always surrounded by a bunch of ignorant giggling airheads. Ron and I paused in the hallway to meet her.

"Good morning, Cho," I said as she got closer. As I looked her over now, I couldn't understand what had been so special about her last year, or maybe it was because I wasn't really Harry anymore. The allure she'd held was gone now. She was just a pretty, young Asian who probably couldn't even stand a chance to one of the more incompetent Death Eaters. Whoa. When had I started thinking about battle skills?

"It's nice to see you, Harry," Cho replied.

"How was your summer?" I questioned, trying to keep the conversation going, only to realize what I said a little too late. I mentally winced as I recalled how badly Cedric's death had affected me. If it had sent through all that pain, I could only wonder how his girlfriend had been affected by it. Could I get any dumber?

Her face seemed to become tight, almost as though she were about to cry. "Oh, it was alright, you know…" I nodded.

"Harry, we have to meet up with Hermione," Ron interrupted, saving me from a very awkward situation. I gave him a look that relayed my thanks even though I made sure to pull a realistic scowl onto my face.

"Can you be any more annoying?" I snapped before turning to Cho. "I'm sorry, Cho, but I have to run before he drags me away." Cho shook her head.

"It's alright, Harry. I'll be seeing you." We waited until she was halfway down the hall before walking towards the courtyard.

"Well, that was lovely," I mumbled, my hands behind my head. "What do you think?"

"I think she was attempting to flirt with you and failing," Ron responded. I snorted. Cho? Flirt with me? I think not. Especially not after the summer she'd had. I'd think that she'd want as little to do with me as possible, since I was the cause of her boyfriend's death. Yeah, flirting was a definite no.

"So, about Gabe," Ron stated as we sat on the farthest side of the courtyard.

"The Chamber," I responded, not looking up from the book I was reading.

"The Chamber of Secrets?"

"Yes. I think that would be perfect, except we have the problem with the dead basilisk."

"Ew. It's probably all rotten and disgusting by now. It has been three years."

"I know. I'm the one that killed it, remember?"

"And saved Ginny."

"Whatever. Anyway, I was planning on heading down there as soon as I figured out a way to remove that disgusting corpse. I'm certain that the smell down there is wretched."

"Rancid."

"You get the idea. Also, the Chamber is huge. We could use it as a training area." Ron nodded.

"What about taking trips to the bank for books? We still need to help Bellatrix." I winced. I'd forgotten all about her. That would be two friends that needed assistance. It was only the beginning of the year, and I already had too many problems to deal with.

"I don't know about that one," I responded. "We could possibly use the fireplace in the common room, but it may be, you know, watched or surveillance." Ron nodded. As we sat there and discussed this, I felt as though Ron understood me better than anyone else did. It was weird because even though he was my best friend, I always found that there was something about him that made him seem…untrustworthy. It was only until last year that I realized what it was, but it was this year that changed that. He wasn't Ron anymore. He was Ace. He pretended to be the same Ron he was before, but this one was more tied to me than the other, even though we'd risked our lives for each other. This Ron I could definitely trust.

After the bell, we met up with Hermione and travelled down to the dungeons for Potions. I sat between Ron and Hermione, which was probably a bad move seeing as how Hermione seemed to hate me at the moment. What had I said to make her so angry? I could barely remember our last conversation. What had it been about again? Something about History, I suppose.

Snape ordered everyone to settle down as he entered the classroom after the bell. I ignored him, casting a glance over towards Neville who looked rather confident despite being in the same room with the man that threatened to fail him each year. I couldn't help but wonder whether it was from the new discovery about himself, or if he'd realized just how useless being afraid of the man was. He felt me staring at him and caught my gaze, and I knew this class was not going to end well.

Snape went on to make a speech about how next June we'd be taking our O.W.L.s and how if we didn't receive an 'acceptable' in his class, we'd have to give up Potions. I personally wasn't complaining, but even I knew that Potions was an important class for all magical beings. I wanted to, at the very least, be able to make antidotes for certain poisons and such. Not being able to cure myself would be an embarrassment.

I noted how his gaze fell on Neville at one point, and I smirked at the shock that played in his eyes when Neville gazed just as coldly in response. I quickly removed that smirk as he turned his gaze to me during his speech, glaring at me. Being Harry Potter, who hated this man with a vengeance, I glared back, though my own hatred for him was just as strong and for the very same reasons. Splitting myself from Potter was going to be tough, but it didn't matter. We were two sides of the same coin. I would always be Harry Potter, but I will forever be Takuya Takahashi.

After his little speech, Snape explained the potion we were going to be attempting to create, Draught of Peace, along with the possible outcomes of what could happen if we made it wrong. He placed the ingredients and instructions on the blackboard, unlocked the store cupboard, and pretty much left us on our own.

As we worked, Snape walked around the classroom, examining everyone's cauldron, emptying those that weren't made correctly and giving said people zeros. I stared at the board in annoyance, his handwriting nearly unreadable in the mixture of hazy fumes. However, I was determined to prove that I could create a potion correctly, and resigned myself to mentally recording the instructions, a trick I'd learned during the break.

"Mr. Longbottom, is there a reason as to why your potion looks like this?" Snape questioned coldly, as he gazed down at Neville's cauldron, which was filled with a dark black liquid.

"Yes, there is," Neville replied coldly as he stirred in more ingredients. His potions suddenly changed color and a light silver vapor began to rise from the potion, as Snape had instructed two minutes before. "I replaced certain ingredients. The originals were efficient, but using them would have taken too long. Instead, I replaced some of the ingredients with substitutes that speed up the potion making process as well make the potion more efficient." He extinguished the flames and filled a vial with his Draught of Peace. He held it up for Snape. "Here you are." Snape glared at the boy before snatching the vial from him.

"What makes you, the village idiot, so certain that this will actually work?" Snape sneered. "Using an unauthorized recipe calls for a detention. Where did you find?"

"Who said that I found it? I made it myself. You'd be surprised with what you come across over the summer." Snape continued to glare at him.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention for the week, Mr. Longbottom."

"Lovely."

"Five more points from Gryffindor."

"And I should c-" I cleared my throat gaining both of their attention.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Potter?" Snape questioned coldly.

"Nothing, Professor," I responded calmly as I filled a vial with my own potion, which turned out nicely if I do say so myself. Snape glared at me before turning back to Neville, who had understood my warning and grown silent.

"What was that you were going to say, Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville stared down at his cauldron. I noted how he was taking several deep breaths, most likely to calm himself. He looked back at Snape and shook his head. "Nothing, Professor."

"I'll be seeing you in my office, then."

The bell rang, and everyone turned in their potions before scurrying out of the classroom. We walked down the corridor, heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Is Neville all right?" Hermione questioned. "I've never seen him do something like that!"

"Talk back to Snape?" Ron questioned. "Well, it's about time. Truthfully, I would have said something, too, but my potion was horrible, so I'll just keep my mouth shut until I make one up to par as yours, Hermione. Though, I am surprised you didn't say anything, Harry. You could have certainly made him eat his words."

"And suffer through detention with him? I can barely stand to have him for a class period. What makes you think I'm going to stay in the same room with him for another two hours? I don't think so. I am impressed with Neville, though. It's about time he stood up to that big bully." Hermione frowned at us.

"Personally, I agree with you," she responded. "However, talking back to a teacher is wrong and disrespectful. I think that him just finishing the potion was good enough, though I do wish to learn where he found that alternative recipe from." And she was off in a world where learning everything made the world go round. How I wish life were that simple.


	17. Chapter 17

Read and review. (In no particular order)

* * *

After lunch, I ascended into Professor Trelawney's classroom, where I sat with Ron during the entire lesson. Trelawney's class was the worse. Always was, and always will be. Of course, nothing topped Potions, but if we had a different teacher, that may have been another case. Trelawney welcomed us back to her, and I immediately wished that I'd taken Ancient Runes instead. Her fake dreamy voice was like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. The fraud continued to talk about checking our fortunes and knowing that we'd all return safely to Hogwarts. What a phony.

After explaining our textbooks and about our O.W.L.s, Trelawney gave us our assignment and let us be. Ron and I spent that time chatting as usually, pretending to be doing work whenever Trelawney walked past. We were both relieved when the bell rang, and we were able to leave.

"The twins weren't lying when they said that this year would be hell," Ron mumbled as we headed toward Defense. "It's the first day, and we already have homework in three different classes. We'd better hope that that Umbridge woman doesn't give us any homework." I scowled and nodded with him. We had too much to do already that didn't even involve school, and now we had a load of homework to do on top of that. If I'd ever been stressed out before, that was nothing to what was going on now.

When we entered the classroom, we found the toad lady seated at the teacher's desk wearing that horrible pink fluffy cardigan from the night before. I wondered if the doctor who delivered her accidentally slapped her twice, not sure which was her ass or her face.

"Well, good afternoon, class!" she said when we'd all finally found our seats. Only a few students managed to mumble a reply, which she must have found displeasing for she responded, "Tut, tut! Now that most certainly won't do, now, will it? I would like you all, please, to reply 'Good Afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!" She had immediately made herself the most annoying teacher yet. In my book, anyway.

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," we all chanted back to her, though mine was a little strained since I was saying it through clenched teeth. Come on, Harry. Fake smile. Make sure it looks fake just to show that you don't like her.

"There, now," Umbridge said sweetly, making my skin crawl. "That wasn't too difficult, was it?" You have no idea. "Wands away and quills out, please."

I scowled as I shoved my wand back into my bag, pulling out my quill, ink, and parchment. This class was going to be boring. I couldn't wait for something bad to happen to this woman, now. She just ruined my favorite class, the ugly, toad faced bitch. The woman removed her own wand from her bag and magically caused words to appear on the board: Defense against the Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles. Someone kill me now.

After this appeared on the board, Umbridge went into a well drawn out speech on how fractured and disrupted our knowledge of the subject was. She babbling about having new teachers each year and how most of them didn't follow a Ministry-approved curriculum, with threw me since I thought the school was separate from the Ministry.

As she continued to talk, a switch flicked on in my mind, and I realized what was going on. The Ministry was trying to infiltrate the school in some way. Well, that was my first guess. My second was that they were trying to reprogram us in an attempt to prove that Voldemort hadn't returned, which he had, but I pretended that Dumbledore had forced me to openly claim his return.

She reclaimed my attention by tapping the board and having us write down what had appeared on it. After we had copied down the course aims, she'd asked if everyone had bought a copy of that boring book I'd tried to read over the summer, only to pass out with boredom. When she only received a bored mumble, she calmly exerted how we should respond when asked and a question before repeating her question. I didn't respond this time because the bitch was annoying me. She told us to read chapter one before settling behind the teacher's desk and observing us.

It took a lot of force, but I turned to the correct page and forced myself to start reading the ridiculously dull works of some idiot who thought that a person could talk their way out of any situation. Dumbass. I finally gave up reading the crappy piece of work and began playing with my pendent underneath my robe. The twins were geniuses to come up with such a unique piece of work. Making it a communicator had been one of their greatest achievements. Even Lily thought that they had exceptional skills when they told her about the runes and spells they'd placed on it.

I paused in my toying when a thought came to my head. The twins were supposed geniuses, so maybe when they made it a verbal communicator, they made it a nonverbal one as well. Could they have created a telepathic link? I heard of them, or rather, read of them, but I didn't think that they could be done. Well, that's not true. If anyone could create such a devise, it had to be Fred and George.

I gripped the pendent in my free hand while I lay my head in the other to pretend that I was still reading. Softly, as softly as I could whisper in my mind, I thought, _Ron, can you hear me?_ When I heard nothing other than my own thoughts inside my head, disappointment welled inside of me. It was worth a try.

As I skimmed over the page, I was supposed to be reading, my hand stopped just as I was turning the page.

_Takuya? Was that you?_

I stared at the page I had landed on before braving a glance at Ron who was staring at the first page of the chapter. He looked up at me and arched an eyebrow in question. I turned back to my book. Bloody hell. It worked.

_Ace, the twins are geniuses._

_ Yah think!_ He responded. _Bloody hell! This is incredible! They managed to pull of telepathic communication! Hey, Gabe, Gelly! Can you hear me? Think back to me!_

There was a silence before-

_Ace, why are you in my head? _Gelly questioned.

_The twins are fucking geniuses. They deserve a fucking award!_ I thought back. _This is ridiculous! They managed to make a telepathic link using our glamour mediums! They're fucking brilliant! You hear that, Damen, Damien! You're fucking geniuses!_

_ Takuya's new favorite word for the day. Fucking. Nice, Taku._ Gabe responded. _But the twins are fucking geniuses! This is amazing!_

_ Well, I'll be damned! They do work, Damen! _Damien's voice erupted inside my mind.

_Of course they work, Ien. We made them._

The combined voices of us fifth years all thought the same thing. _Ien?_

_ Shut up. I like my nickname. Now, aren't these things just the coolest little toys we've ever created or what?_

_ The best!_ I responded.

_Um, Takuya, what's Hermione doing? _Gelly questioned.

I glanced up from my book along with Ron and Draco to find Hermione staring fixatedly at the toad woman with her hand raised. _Ugly bitch, isn't she? Umbridge, I mean._ I received several mental forms of agreement, with Ron only slightly nodding his head in acknowledgment of my mental questioned.

_The toad woman? _Damien questioned. _She's hideous!_

_ She needs to return to whatever bog she crawled out of. _Damen replied with displeasure.

I watched Hermione in utter disbelief. She hadn't even opened her book yet, not that I could blame her. She probably already read it, or read enough of it to realize how deathly boring it was. Umbridge was trying her hardest to ignore the girl, but was failing as everyone's attention fell on Hermione.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione sweetly, causing me to visibly shake.

"Not about the chapter, no," Hermione replied.

"Well, we're just reading now, but if you have other questions, we can deal with them after class."

"I've got a query about your course aims." I dropped my head to hide the smirk that was forming on my lips. I knew this wasn't about the damned book.

_Takuya? _This was Ace's mental voice.

_I have a good feeling and a bad feeling. Hermione is going to question Umbridge on her ridiculous course aims. Good thing. It's going to end badly. Bad thing. _Ron nodded slightly, but kept his attention on Hermione.

_Poor girl. _He thought.

"And what might your name be, child?" Umbridge questioned.

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully." Ron winced at the woman's disgustingly sweet voice. I resisted the urge to vomit all over the disgusting book, though I was certain that it would make the book better.

"Well, I don't," Hermione said bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about _using _defensive spells."

There was a short silence as many students turned their heads to scowl at the course aims on the board. Even I had to admit that because of those blasted aims, this class was going to be as boring and unproductive as History of Magic, which was a shame since, as I already stated, this was my favorite class.

Umbridge laughed at Hermione statement. "Why on Earth would you be using a defensive spell in my classroom, Miss Granger? I hope that you aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

_Don't say a word! _I snapped over the link as I noted Ron preparing to say something. He shut his mouth and shook his head.

_You're just going to leave this to Hermione?_

_ I don't want to, but she's from the Ministry. Our enemy. There is a strong possibility that she could use something we say against us, so shut the hell up. That goes for you two as well!_

_ I wasn't going to say anything anyway. _– Gabe

_I've already gotten one detention so far. I don't want to get another. _– Gelly.

"So we're not going to use any magic?" Hermione questioned. "Surely the whole point of Defense against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells? How are we going to do so without using magic?"

"Miss Granger, are you a Ministry-trained educational expert?" Umbridge questioned.

_So she calls herself an expert, now? _– Me.

_I wouldn't go that far. The Ministry _has _no experts. For example, their Aurors are shit._ – Ace.

_Good example, Ace. Hell, their _minister _is shit. _– Gabe.

_I'd rather watch what's about to happen than listen to you three._ – Gelly.

Hermione stumbled over her reply. "No, but –"

"Well then, I'm afraid that you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you devised our new program study. You will be learning defensive magic in a secure, risk –free way –"

Ron couldn't keep his mouth shut. "But what's the use of that?" he shouted. I glared at him. "If we're going to be attacked, it certainly won't be in a –"

"_Hand_, Mr. Weasley!" the ugly toad sang. Ron ignored her. Instead, he rolled his eyes and turned away from her. She, in turn, ignored him and turned towards the several other people with their hands raised.

_Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?_ – Me.

_She's so irritating. It pissed me off. Sorry._ – Ace.

Dean asked his question after Umbridge got his name. "Well, it's like what Ron said, isn't it?" he said. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a risk-free –"

"I repeat," said Umbridge, whose smile I wanted to rip off, "do you expect to be attacked during my class?"

"No, but –"

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention extremely dangerous half-breeds."

This time, _I _couldn't keep my mouth shut. "If you're talking about Professor Lupin," I nearly shouted, "he was one of the best professors we've ever –"

"_Hand_, Mr. Potter!" she shouted, but I went right on talking. She wasn't about to shut me up so quickly.

"Professor Lupin was the best professor we've ever had!" I shouted above her, just as she had done to Dean a few seconds before. She glared at me, and I glared right back.

"As I was saying – you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate for your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believe that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day –"

"No we haven't," Hermione argued defiantly, "we just –"

"_Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"_

The class went on like this for quite some time. Several students spoke up to argue with the toad woman, only to be shot down because their hands weren't raised, and those that did have their hands raised were either ignored or talked over. This woman just wasn't having any of it.

_Did you like getting your two knuts in? _– Ace questioned.

_It could have been better. This woman is a maniac, though. She's trying to convince a class that has already been programmed to think a certain way to think in the opposite direction. She was hated when she first made that dumb speech at the Beginning of the Year feast, and she only made it worse by starting those stupid rituals. This damned argument is making her one of the hated DADA professors ever, beside Lockhart, of course, but she's possible the worse._ – Me.

_I'd trade her for that imbecile any day. _– Gabe.

_Hermione just lost the Gryffindors ten points for saying Voldemort's name. _– Gelly.

_I knew something like this would happen. This is why I kept telling you guys to shut up! _– Me.

_Yet you put your own comments in with me! _– Ace.

_It slipped. At least, _I _didn't lose our house ten points._ – Me.

_I don't really get the points system. It's just a way to support student rivalry. It's disgusting. That's why I was about to show how much I didn't care when Snape took those points from me. Of course, Takuya stopped me. Good move, by the way. I would have been hated in our house._ – Gelly.

_I've started to think far enough ahead. I should have been doing that last year._ – Me.

By the end of class, several things had occurred, but only one was worth mentioning. Hermione Granger, the bookworm, know-it-all, Gryffindor prefect, had been sent out of the classroom with a note and was given detention. As we replayed what had happened in class, a thought rushed to my mind.

_If I hadn't changed during the summer, that probably would have been me!_

The silence in my mind concluded that I was correct in my assumption. A tiny bit of guilt surged through me. I'd allowed Hermione to take the heat for me when I should have spoken out myself. Only my gut feeling had stopped me from saying anything too…provocative. After all, I had claimed that Dumbledore had forced me to claim that Voldemort had risen. Since that's the case, I can't say anything that would prove that that was a lie.

_Why do I get this feeling that Hermione truly hates me now?_ –Me.

The response wasn't the one I wanted. As we left the classroom, Ron leaned over and whispered, "Because she does." My blood went cold. I'd just made an enemy out of my friend. The Potter curse still lived even after I'd changed my name. This was the perfect way to start the school year.


	18. Chapter 18

I was nervous as Neville, Fred, George, Ron, and I made our way back to the common room after dinner. Hermione hadn't been there. From the whispers in the Hall, it seemed that most people thought she was crazy instead of me, though several still whispered about my betrayal of Dumbledore. For the first time, though, I noticed that all of the whispers about Dumbledore were coming from the Gryffindor table.

"Have the Gryffindors always been hung on Dumbledore?" I questioned aloud, trying to clear the suffocating silence as we walked slowly through the corridors towards the tower. Fred bit his lip, but nodded.

"You don't realize it until your perspective changes, but yeah, now that you mention it, it does seem that the Gryffindors worship the ground Dumbledore walks upon," he responded.

"And I was one of his most beloved followers, too, last year," I mumbled. "Thank Merlin for this summer."

"What's this I hear? Gryffindors complaining about how their fellow housemates see Dumbledore?" We stopped in our walking. Coming up behind us were two Slytherin girls. They continued forward until they were just a few inches away from us. "I thought I'd never live to see the day a Gryffindor finally gains some sense." The one who spoke had soft white skin and long dark hair with the deepest green eyes. I recognized her instantly.

"Good evening to you as well, Daphne," I greeted her before turning to her companion, who I then recognized as her younger sister Astoria. "Good evening to you, too, Astoria."

Astoria looked taken aback, but I realized that it was for dramatic effect. "My, should I be honored that the great Harry Potter managed to remember my name, a lowly Slytherin?" she questioned.

"A lowly Slytherin, you are not," was my response. "Can I help you, ladies?"

"Actually, yes," Daphne responded. "It's about Malfoy. We've caught wind of your…mutual agreement. How mature of you to settle your differences. Maybe some Gryffindors don't fight now and think never. What has caused the sudden change in mindset? You Gryffindors were the embodiment of thinking strictly in black and white."

"It only takes a few months for a person to realize that maybe there is more to the world than black and white. If I can see in color, why think in color?" Daphne's eyes glowed with amusement.

"You have changed, Potter, and so have your friends, I see," she said, glancing around me to look at Ron and the others. "Where is the little know-it-all, though? From what I've heard, she's gotten herself into a little mess with that Umbridge woman."

"From what I've heard, I don't think she even wants to see you right now," Astoria warned me. "She seems a little…upset about how you didn't argue with the woman, though I heard you did say one thing, but that was in response to jab she made at Professor Lupin."

"Rather well informed, aren't you?"

"Draco isn't the only one who can't keep his mouth shut. When the little bookworm got points taken away, and then got detention, everyone began to talk. She sounds even crazier than the papers make you out to be."

"You think that I'm crazy?"

"It's common for the Prophet to lie about celebrities," Daphne said in a bored tone. "Only idiots would believe something like that, though the article about Dumbledore seemed rather believable. The man makes himself out to be a saint, yet views the world in strictly black and white. Ridiculous, if you ask me." She paused and smirked at me. "Thank you for this ravishing conversation. For the first time since I got here, I'm certain that my mind didn't go to mush while talking to Gryffindors. I shall be seeing you in Charms and Transfigurations tomorrow, Mr. Potter."

"It was nice speaking with you as well, Ms. Daphne, Ms. Astoria," I responded. We separated and continued to our designated places.

"That was strange," Ron commented. "The Greengrasses normally keep to themselves. Oh well. They could make useful allies. When can we start training?" I shook my head. He'd been bugging me about training since school started.

"As soon as I open the Chamber," I replied, exasperated. "Jesus, allow me the time to get some work done first! We have a ton of homework, remember?" Ron shrugged.

After telling the lovely portrait our password, we walked through to hole to find the common room filled with people, though they were mostly on the edges of the room. In the very center stood a fuming Hermione.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she shouted as soon as I'd stepped through the door. She bolted towards me. Ron and the others moved out of the way as I was forced against the door behind me with Hermione just inches from me.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, immediately regretting it.

"You know what I'm talking about! Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you argue with the lies she was spitting out?" she shouted.

"What was I supposed to say? You're wrong? I don't know how the Ministry works! I'm not an educator!"

"You could have said something! For Christ's sakes, all you argued about was Lupin! She was banning magic from her classroom, and you didn't care! She was calling Dumbledore's announcement of Voldemort's return a lie! AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

"How am I supposed to argue with her about that! I don't even remember what happened!" For my efforts, I received a slap. The sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded throughout the room. Everyone had gone quiet.

"Dumbledore saves your life, and you repay him like this?" Hermione shouted.

"Exactly _how _did he save my life?" I argued, my cheek burning.

"Oh, I don't know! During first year, maybe! How about third year? Last year?" she listed.

"Dumbledore did _not _save me last year!" I snapped. "Did you know that I didn't even have to participate in last year's Tournament? There are _rules _about things like your name getting entered unofficially! Rules that Dumbledore knew about! He did not save me last year! He made my year _worse_!" For my troubles, she smacked me on the other cheek.

"How dare you blame Dumbledore for your problem!" she shouted. "He's done nothing but good since he's been born!"

"How do you know that? Just because you read a lot of books, Hermione, does not mean that you _know _everything!"

"And you think you're so smart just because you managed to pull off a potion in class!" Her ignorance finally pushed me to my breaking point. I broke hard.

"You think you're so fucking smart just because you read the entire goddamn library!" I shouted. "Well, guess what you, fucking know-it-all, you're not! Book smarts will only get you so far. Have you ever had to take down a full grown basilisk? I didn't think so! Ever fought against a dragon? No. Ever so much as flew on a broom. NO! I'm not trying to say that I'm smarter than you. Then I'd be lying. When you have enough experience to back up that knowledge of yours, though, then maybe, just maybe, people might actually _like _you." That efficiently shut her up.

I turned from her and walked through the stunned students to the dorms. I was in my bed when Ron and the others came in. "She's crying, isn't she?" I questioned through the pillow I was trying to smother myself with.

"Actually, she's pouring over her textbooks from what Lavender told us," Ron stated as he dropped onto my bed. "Lavender wanted me to tell you that you're an asshole. Parvati wanted me to tell you that she wants to talk to you later in the evening, and Ginny was beyond pissed about what you said to Hermione. So that makes… two potential enemies and one hopeful ally." I sat up and turned to him, raising an eyebrow in question. "I said hopeful."

"Who said we wanted Parvati as an ally?" I questioned. "The girl is another Lavender. That's not a good thing."

"It depends," Fred stated. "Good night." He and George climbed into their beds and pulled the curtain around them. I had a fleeting suspicion that they were going to sleep at all. Ron hopped onto his bed and so did Neville. I pulled out my textbooks and began working on the homework for my classes. Doing something helped me arrange my thoughts better. That helped me feel less guilty about the things I had said to Hermione.

It was two hours later, after the other boys had filed into the dorm room and fallen asleep, I tossed my finished homework to the side and left the dorm to visit the common room, where Parvati Patil sat before the fire, waiting for me.

"Parvati, I'm sorry for making you wait," I began. The girl looked up at me and shook her head.

"I just got down here, actually," she responded. When I sat down in the chair next her, she continued. "What you said to Hermione was hurtful, cruel, true, and took too long to come out." I stared at her in confusion. Was she scolding me or praising me?

"Huh?"

"Hermione is, though she's a very nice girl, a know-it-all. An _insufferable _know-it-all. She believes that sheer knowledge can replace the lack of experience." I couldn't help but continue to stare at the girl. Wasn't she Lavender's clone? Parvati seemed to know what I was thinking because she stated, "Just because I'm a Gryffindor, doesn't mean I don't have the mind of a Ravenclaw. Why do you think my sister was sorted into that house?" I nodded. That certainly made sense.

"Why tell me this, though?" I questioned.

"Because you look like you need a lot of friends, now. Word has gotten out that you and Malfoy are now... associates. Other Gryffindors are finding it even harder to tolerate you now. After four years of luck, good or bad, the others are jealous of you. They pretty much hate you now that you've unintentionally caused Dumbledore to go on the run. Now that you're associating yourself with Slytherins, they hate you even more."

"I could have told you that, Parvati."

"Yes, but that still doesn't mean that you don't need more allies. My sister and I will always be there for you." I nodded in acceptance.

"Why are you helping me, though?" I questioned, slightly confused by the girl's show of loyalty. Parvati smiled.

"Ever since I was a kid, I've just been able to sense the potential in certain people. You, Harry, have a lot of potential. You just need help from the right people to bring it out." She stood up. "Well, it's getting late, and we have Charms in the morning. Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Parvati." I watched her as she entered the girl's dorm before standing and heading back to my dorm. My bed was calling me.

* * *

I hadn't wanted to go to breakfast the next morning, but Ron and the others dragged me downstairs anyway. Upon entering the Great Hall, the noise level seemed to drop significantly, which alerted me to the fact that they really were talking about what had happened last night between Hermione and I. I wouldn't have been surprised if the Daily Prophet had a new article about it.

I sat down at the table and was surprised when Luna came over, dragging another Chinese Ravenclaw with her. "Harry, I would like for you to meet Su Li. She's a Ravenclaw in my year. She's a little shy, that's why I brought her over here to meet you." I looked up at the pretty Asian who blushed and looked away when I caught her grey eyes. What an abnormal color.

"Um…hello, Su Li," I said, hesitantly. "It's nice to meet you." The girl blushed harder and bowed. Luna hadn't been kidding when she said she was shy.

"It's…um…it's nice to meet you, too, Harry," she whispered, blushing harder if possible. She took a breath and seemed to be trying to sum up more courage. It seemed to work, for she looked me straight in the eyes and smiled. "I heard about what happened with you and Granger. She's too much of a know-it-all even for us Ravenclaws." I snorted. Wasn't that the truth? "I hope that we can talk more later."

"I hope so as well, Su Li," I responded. She blushed again before hurrying off to her table with Luna.

"Well, you're getting quite popular with the ladies, Harry," Fred teased.

"You better save some for the rest of us!" George shouted.

"Shut up, you two!" I snapped, causing the group to burst into hysterics. I glared at them before smiling and eventually laughing myself. My guilt from this morning left me, and all I felt was happy.

Of course, that changed as the week went on. Flitwick, McGonagall, Grubbly-Plank (dumbest surname I've ever heard), and Sinistra all piled us up with homework. I was certain I'd drown, but with my newfound sense of doing my homework the same day it was given, I managed to stay afloat. This kept me too busy to go look down at the Chamber as well as figure out a way to help save Bellatrix and find a way to our vaults. I'd thought about doing so over break, but that was so far from now. Bella needed help now. All in all, I was stressed out big time.

When Saturday came, I sighed with relief. I went down to breakfast before finishing up whatever homework I had left. God, I was so happy that the first week was over, but now I had other things to do. After lunch, I told the guys my plan before mentally telling it to Draco, too. I left the Great Hall and headed for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Once there, I waited almost an hour before the others showed up one or two at a time.

"And we're here why?" Draco questioned. I grinned.

"Let me show you." I took a breath before turning and hissing the password to the Chambers. The others stared in surprise as they watched the entrance open. I smirked before going through it.

When I entered the Chamber, I saw something that I definitely did not expect to see. I saw a freshly dead basilisk before me, blood still wet on the ground, skin still on, and everything. Hell, the sword was even still lodged into it. My jaw dropped in shock. I hadn't expected this at all. Maybe I thought about the possibility, but this was…mind-blowing. Magic was seriously mind-blowing sometimes.

"What…the hell," I heard Ron say behind me as the others came further into the Chamber.

"_You _killed _that_ in your _second year_?" Draco exclaimed in disbelief, his voice squeaking at the end.

"That's badass," Ron mumbled. "Do you know what kind of boots I can make with that hide?"

"Do you know what potions we could create with its blood?" Neville exclaimed. "I already know like fifty poisons!"

"You would be thinking about the deadly stuff, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up, Ace."

"You do realize that the organ tissues have healing properties, right?" Fred stated as he walked closer to the fresh corpse.

"It's been three years," George gasped. "Three years, and it still looks like that! What types of charms are on this room?"

"I don't know," I said, "but let's find out. Neville, Draco, why don't you two get to work on that thing. Save whatever's useful. Fred, George, you guys start on figuring out what kept this thing so fresh for so long. Revealing spells should work. Ron, you come with me. We're exploring." We all set to work.

Ron and I went past the basilisk corpse, spotting a corridor nearby. We entered it and found a large library. "Salazar sure did want to keep his stuff secret," I mumbled as we lit our wands and began to travel down the rows of shelves in the large library.

"Takuya, I can't even read some of the stuff here," Ron pointed out as he picked up one book. Do you think it's in parseltongue?" I walked through the maze of shelves before find him holding a nondescript book.

"I didn't even know that they could write in parseltongue," I mumbled as I took the book from him and flipped it open. Weird, scratchy handwriting filled the pages, yet I could somehow understand every word. "This must be parseltongue handwritten, because it looks like how it sounds. Scratchy hissing."

"Well, this is Salazar's library all right," Ron said before exiting the room. "I'm gonna look through some other corridors."

"Don't get lost," I called to him without looking up from the book. I listened as his footsteps diminished before snapping the book shut. Determination rushed over me like a tidal wave. I was certain that I would be able to find a clue here as to find a cure for Bellatrix's disease.

I began to go through the library, lifting books that looked promising, tossing them back if I found nothing that I was looking for. I could hear the others working in the main chamber. Neville and Draco arguing about what to do with the sword they'd retracted from the giant snake. Fred and George were shouting exclamations about the rune and spell chains and charm work they'd found layering the Chamber. They'd even found several wards that looked interesting. I couldn't help but smirk. They were really into spell work nowadays. That would be a really handy ability later on.

I left one bookshelf and went to another before going through those books. I began to flip through them. Potions – that may be useful. I pocketed that one. The History of Parseltongue – I tossed that one. Occlumency and Legilimency – I paused when I saw that one and pocketed it as well. Doll Creation – I began to read through it. As I skimmed through the book, I was amazed at how in-depth it was. It was detailed in its explanations of the art, explaining how to create the perfect doll body, and how to perfect a person's sculpting skills. It even talked about creating a new soul or transferring old souls into the new body. I'd need this book later on.

I continued towards the back, passing up several bookcases until I came to a small desk. On it was a lamp, parchment, ink and quill, and a large book. I pulled the chair back and sat down, lighting the lamp with my wand. Curiosity got the best of me. I reached for the book, and as my fingers brushed the cover, my world vanished into darkness.

* * *

"Oh dear, do you think he's alright?" a soft, innocent sounding voice asked from somewhere in the darkness. "I believe you forced his ability a little early, don't you think?" The voice was female and sounded rather concerned.

"Well, if I hadn't, he probably would have never awakened his gift," a sly, male voice replied. "After all, it _is _a latent vampiric ability. Latent as in, would probably have never emerged. His lycanic half was most likely suppressing it, anyway. If it weren't for that little spell I cast on the book, he would have never awaked it, and thus, be here." Okay, seriously. Who was talking, and what was going on?

Finally, my world burst into color again. I blinked and glanced around, only to find myself in the Gryffindor common rooms. What was I doing here? A new voice answered that question for me. "Don't get too comfortable, kid. You're not really in the Gryffindor Tower." This voice was strong, overly masculine. Reminded me of a football player or something like that. A jock, for lack of a better word.

I sat up and turned my left. I was met with the image of highly beautiful young woman. She had pale white skin and solid black hair that fell over her shoulder in masses of dark curls. Her mercurial silver eyes gazed into my own and her luscious red lips formed into a smile.

"Hello, Takuya," she greeted me, her voice seductively deep and sensual. I was still speechless by her utter beauty, but she didn't give me a chance to return her greeting. "This may seem weird to you, but do not worry. Everything shall be explained to you."

"Who…who are you?" I questioned breathlessly, having to force out the question through numb lips. She was, without a shadow of a doubt, gorgeous.

The woman continued to smile at me. I noted the underlying wisdom that lay in her eyes. She was intelligent and seemed to know exactly how to use it. "I am rather well known in your plane of existence, Takuya," she responded. "My name is Rowena Medici, but you know me better as Rowena Ravenclaw." I stared at her. Was this woman serious? Ravenclaw? In person? Where in the hell was I?

"Don't worry, kid, we'll explain everything in a minute," the jock voice responded. I turned around to find a large man standing there. He was indeed large. He had a strong athletic build with broad shoulders. Through the simple clothes he wore, I could see the many muscles that rippled over his body, which sent my skin tingling. From excitement or fear, I was unsure. He had wildly shaggy golden blond hair and the warmest blue eyes I had ever seen. I opened my mouth to question who he was before sensing the other presences in the room.

I turned again to find a woman who held a sharp resemblance with the jock guy. She had the same golden blond hair color, only her hair was wavy and fell just above her shoulders. She had the same warm blue eyes, but there seemed to be something else there that made me extremely comfortable with her. Her cream colored skin was unblemished, and though she wasn't as striking as the other woman, she still held a beauty all her own.

The final person held a resemblance to the first woman. Like her, he had mercurial silver eyes, pale white skin, and solid black hair, only his was styled into a more aristocratic way. He was thinner than the other man while a more princely build, aristocratic. His features were sharper. He seemed to be the embodiment of Slytherin.

"Okay…who are you people?" I asked after looking them over. "Now, I'm young. I've been through one hell of a summer. Since you know my name, you must know what I've been through. Even with all of the crap I've been through, I'm certain that this is going to be hard for me to swallow." I turned to the woman who had introduced herself as Ravenclaw. "Okay, seriously. You're Rowena Ravenclaw?" Rowena nodded.

"Yes, I am Rowena Ravenclaw," she responded, and I just barely caught the remains of an Italian accent. "I am one of the four founders of Hogwarts." I paused for a moment. I pulled my hand down my face.

"Okay, since there are four of you, and you're one of the four founders, than that would mean that the rest of you are the founders, too, right?" I questioned, earning a nod from the others. I turned to the jock guy. "I'm just going to take a guess and say that you're Godric, huh?" The guy's face split in half with his huge grin, showing me his pearly whites.

"Good guess, kid," he responded. "Godric Potter, more commonly known as Godric Gryffindor." My mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. Potter? He was a Potter?

The other woman giggled at my impression of a fish out of water. I turned to her next. "Helga Hufflepuff?" I asked in a small voice. She nodded.

"I apologize for your having to go through that just to meet us," she said. She'd been the concerned voice I'd heard. She sounded so innocent for a woman that appeared to be in her early twenties. "I am Helga Potter, known to you as Helga Hufflepuff." She was a Potter, too, but her resemblance to Godric was so uncanny that I immediately assumed that they were brother and sister.

"And I am Salazar Medici," the aristocratic man said behind me, causing me to turn to him. Unlike his sister, his Italian accent was strong, but not thick enough to make his words indistinguishable. "Known to you and the rest of your world as Salazar Slytherin."

"Wow." That was the only intelligent thing that I could manage. I stared between them, trying to organize my thoughts. Why were the Founders appearing to me beyond the grave? I thought that they were dead?

"You are probably wondering why we're here talking to you," Rowena said, earning a "Ya think?" look from me. She scowled at me, and I winced, though that was forced since I found her scowl really sexy instead of scary. Convinced that she'd scared me, she continued. "As I was saying, you're probably wondering why we're here before you. It's a rather long story, but seeing as you have no other place to be, I shall begin.

"We were young when we died. Rather young, in fact, we were only in our early to late twenties when we passed. We all passed the same way. A young wizard, whose name has been lost in time, came upon us asking for our help. We, of course, helped him. We took him into our newly built school and allowed him shelter and food. He repaid us by poisoning us in our sleep. Because our lives ended so abruptly, Father Time kept us from passing over. Instead, he placed us in the In-between, Purgatory, if you will. We've been here ever since."

"So I'm in Purgatory with you?" I questioned. Salazar shook his head.

"No, actually, you're projecting your mind into Purgatory while your body remains unconscious in the Realm of the Living," he responded. "An ability that stems from your latent clairvoyance."

"Clairvoyance? In other words, I'm psychic?"

"To some extent, yes. It was once a popular vampiric ability that disappeared over time. No one wanted to see into the future anymore, and when they decided they wanted that gift back, it was too late. Of course, there was a possibility that you would have been able to awake the ability on your own, but your lycanic half was suppressing it, so you would have never been able to awaken it."

"Lovely," I mumbled. "How did you awaken my ability?" Salazar grinned.

"Through possession, I made a first year place the spell on that book when she was in my Chamber before releasing her. We knew that someday you would come down here and find it." I stared at him before glaring. "Is something wrong?"

"You possessed Ginny," I snapped, not that I really cared. She didn't exactly like me at the moment, especially after how I treated Hermione earlier in the week. Still, I felt that I should at least defend her.

"I apologize if she was a friend of yours," Salazar said. "I meant no harm. However, we didn't just bring you hear to simply talk to you about our deaths."

"Why am I here?"

"So that we can ask you to create new bodies for us," Godric answered. "We have only so much time left before our time in Purgatory ends. We want to return to Earth before that time is over."

"So you want me to create you four new bodies? How?" I paused, my eyebrows flying into my hairline. "Doll Creation. You want me to create a doll for you, don't you? Create four dolls in order to bring you back! Brilliant, but expensive and time consuming. I'm already stressing over other matters, life and death matters."

"We know, Takuya," Helga replied. "We know what is happening to Miss Black. We wish to make a deal with you." That piqued my interest.

"What kind of deal?" I questioned, gazing at them all. "I'm not sure if you have anything I want." Salazar smirked.

"We've already spoken of this. You're searching for a cure for Bellatrix, and we can help you," he replied. I nodded before shaking my head.

"Why should I make a deal with you four when you're the ones who need my help?" I questioned, surprising them, though Salazar's smirk only grew larger. "How about this: I'll create your bodies under four conditions. You help me save Bellatrix, help train me and my friends, teach us most of what you know, and give us access to your weapons. Wait, one more. You'll have to help us if necessary, and I mean in life or death situations, too. Like, actual combat type of help. Fighting with us. We'll be…comrades."

Salazar shook his head. "A true Slytherin at heart," he said as he smiled. "I can agree with that."

"So can I," Helga responded. Rowena seconded that, though Godric seemed rather hesitant. "Brother?"

"I agree, but let's add another condition that work in your favor," he responded. "There are two souls that haven't quite passed on yet. They are reluctant to do so, seeing as how they died young and had so much they wanted to do. Whereas most murdered souls just automatically pass on, they were thrust here with us. If we leave, they'll get bored. Now, these souls are geniuses on the same level as Damien and Damen, and can work just as well as they can. So how about this: Create two more dolls for them, and they'll be yours to control." Control? I didn't really want control, but the idea of having two more geniuses like the twins was just too much to pass over.

"Deal," I responded. Salazar grinned.

"Good. I'm glad we'll be able to work together, Takuya," he said. "It's almost time for you to go. When you leave, we'll be leaving with you, occupying your body while you remain the main soul. It's only until you can create the dolls, of course. Now, there is no cure for Bellatrix's condition, however, there is a potion that can lengthen her remaining lifespan. It's in the book you touched. Use that if you need more time. I'd advise you to begin working on the potion and the dolls as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Of course. I'd hate to have you in my body for longer than necessary." I paused for a moment, remembering something I'd stupidly forgotten. "Exactly who are the souls I'm going to be creating dolls for?" Salazar just grinned.

"We'll be seeing you, Takuya." Before I knew it, I was submerged in darkness again. God, I'm an idiot.


	19. Chapter 19

I awoke to find myself laying on top of the desk. I was a little lightheaded, but other than that, I was fine. I was prepared to believe that what I had just gone through was a dream, but after all the hell I'd gone through this summer, I knew that I couldn't just play this off as just a silly dream. I sat up, grabbed the large dusty book from the desk, extinguished the candle, and rushed from Salazar's library.

In the main chamber, I was surprised to find that the corpse had been reduced to nothing but bones. Neville and Draco, who were now Gelly and Gabe respectively, were collapsed on the ground with two trunks near them. When they saw me coming, they let out a shout of, "We did it!" I chuckled at their expended excitement.

"How did you managed to reduce that thing to bones so quickly?" I questioned as I dropped to the ground beside their exhausted bodies. I couldn't help but notice that the angel was possibly glowing with pride.

"Lots and lots of cutting and spell work," he responded as he panted. "I feel like I've run around the castle twice at full speed. It's a wonder I didn't faint. Do you have any idea how resistant basilisk hide is to magic? I think I've expended my entire core!" I laughed at his expense.

"Gabe, you'd be dead right now, you idiot!" Gelly snapped playfully. "That was exhausting, though." He glanced up at the book in my hands. "What's that?"

"In this book contains the potion that will give Bella more time," I responded. "I've figured out a way to save her. As soon as I've translated the potion into English, I'll send it to Narcissa to cook up. However, we need to get the ingredients for the doll potion. I think I'll give Sirius my vault key and have him buy the stuff needed. Where are the twins and Ace?"

"Ace said he found something, so the twins went after him," Gabe said, sitting up. Gelly followed in suit. "I think they might have found something interesting because they haven't returned yet." I nodded and rose from the ground.

"Where did they go?" I asked. Neither responded. Instead, they just started walking, and I resigned to following them.

"Wow. I think they found Gabe's apartment," Gabe announced as we entered what appeared to be the living room of Slytherin. It was as large as my apartment at Gringotts. We couldn't admire much, though, because we heard what sounded like wrestling in the back. Following the noise, we came upon a scene that wasn't exactly wrestling, nor was it suitable for anyone under thirteen.

Lying on the bed without a shirt and no pants was Ace. On top of him, straddling his hips, was Damien, who was shirtless as well. Damen was at the head of the bed, half naked as well, holding down Ace's arms. Ace was struggling against both of their attempts at what I could only guess to be rape.

Gelly, Gabe, and I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the struggle and molestation continue before I finally had to say something. "Are we interrupting something?" All three looked up at me.

"Yes!" were the twins' shouts.

"No!" was Ace's own protest. I shook my head.

"Damen, Damien, get off him," I responded. "He obviously doesn't want you to touch him like that." The twins pouted but released the fallen angel, who rolled onto the floor before scrambling towards the door with his clothes in hand.

"Thank you so much!" he shouted in relief. "They were going to do terrible things to me." I shook my head in amusement as Ace replaced his clothing. The book was suddenly yanked out of my hand and tossed to the side by one of the twins before my pendent was ripped off, and I was tossed onto the bed.

"Hey!" I shouted as my shirt was ripped off. Damen was on top of me, straddling my hips like his brother had done to Ace. "Can I get my clothes back?" His response was leaning forward and kissing my neck.

"No. You see, I'm really hot right now. I get that way after finding an interesting spell chain or such. It makes me hot." He shivered as he purred against my neck. "Ace was a good substitute, but I want you." This he growled. I scowled, slightly embarrassed by the boy's obvious sexual attraction towards me.

"Damen, what about me?" Damien whined.

"Ace is all yours. I want this one."

"What is wrong with you two?" Gabe questioned, his face a lovely shade of red. "Has no one ever told you that guys don't go together?"

"If that's the case, then why are you blushing?" Damien purred. Gabe's blush got deeper. He tried to stutter out a response, but didn't get far when Damien grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the ground. "Come on. Let's commemorate your new floors."

"What?"

I ignored the two on the ground to pay attention to the twin on top of me. "I remember when I first tasted you," he spoke. "I want to again." My eyes widened. Again? He had said something along those lines some time ago, but it felt like forever ago. It was when we were still just Harry Potter and George Weasley. The memory was fresh in my mind, though. I wanted that again. I'd enjoyed that. Would he do it again? From the look in his eyes, yes, but I was I ready to commit a sexual act with an audience? I decided to try something.

"I'll let suck me again," I told him, gaining another loud "What?" from the others in the room," if you let me bite you." I'd never had blood before, and now I was a vampire who'd been completely awakened for about three months and had never had blood before. I was an embarrassment to my kind.

Damen stared at me, shocked, most likely at the prospect of having pencil sized fangs driven into his neck. I couldn't blame him if he didn't want to be bitten, but I guess I underestimated his sex drive, because he took a deep breath, leaned forward, and showed me his neck. "Bite me." Those words left shivers down my spine. I hesitated, though. I'd been bluffing when I'd brought it up to begin with, but now, should I go through with it or call my bluff? I decided to go through with it. It was now or never.

I leaned forward, gripping his shoulders. I opened my mouth and felt the stinging pain of my fangs extending. I gently bit down lightly on his neck, testing myself before biting down harder and piercing the skin. Blood gushed into my mouth, and the faint burning in the back of my neck erupted into a fiery inferno. Something inside of me snapped, and I realized that the burning would only stop when I drank. I swallowed the first mouthful of blood, savoring the sweet metallic tang which was layered on top of a more subtle spiciness that I knew could only be found in one of the twin's blood. As I swallowed, the burning was slowly extinguished. After a few more mouthfuls, I retracted my fangs and gently ran my tongue along the bite marks, instinctually healing them.

By now, Damen was clutching me tightly. I could feel his hardness against my leg, causing me to shiver. When had he gotten hard? Had it happened because of my biting him? I'd have to look that up one day. For now, Damen looked up at me with a look of pure lust, and I was certain that I wasn't going to leave this room anytime tonight.

* * *

The morning after our little… "fling" wasn't awkward like I'd expected. I'd awoken to find Damen underneath me, though that hadn't been surprising since I'd managed to knock him unconscious after he'd had his fun inside of me. I blushed with embarrassment at that thought. I'd managed to, for lack of a better word, fuck him unconscious. I'd never realized just how much stamina I possessed, nor would I have ever thought that something like this could happen. Oh dear God, how was I supposed to know that I would cause him to pass out? This was embarrassing.

I gently removed myself from atop Damen, careful not to awaken him. I slowly rose from the bed and began to look for my discarded clothes. I casted a wandless tempus charm that revealed to me that it was a few hours before breakfast and before the rest of the school awoke. I frowned as I thought about returning to our dorms, but we had no choice. I was certain that Snape would have loved it if I just simply disappeared and returned without a valid explanation. I'm certain Umbridge would, too. Hermione, as well.

I grabbed my clothes and quickly cleaned them with a spell before pulling them on. As I turned to head out of the room, I stumbled backwards, seeing a sight that would have normally disgusted me. Gabe and Damien were still on the floor, only this time, they were as naked as I had been before. How had I not known that they were having sex right beside the bed while Damen and I were going at it? Was I so into the act that I'd drowned out everything else? I stepped around their now prone bodies and tiptoed out of the room.

In the living room, I was met with an equally surprising scene when I saw Ace lying underneath Gelly, both unconscious, both completely naked. Had everyone just decided to shack up for the night? I wasn't disgusted by them, though I'd only wished that they hadn't done it on the couch. Could a cleaning spell even get out semen stains? I was unsure, and I could only hope because the white spots were highly visible on the deep green couch. Never once did I think about how these hook ups would change our relationships as friends.

I entered the kitchen and went straight to work on a quick morning breakfast, only to realize that I didn't have any of the ingredients that I needed. The stove and such were ancient looking. I couldn't cook with this crap, but I didn't know the transfiguration spells necessary for transfiguring them into something of this era. I paced around the poor excuse of a kitchen, trying to think of something I could do. I couldn't do spells, and I certainly was setting myself aflame by attempting to cook on those outdated antiques. What was I going to do?

I groaned, collapsing into a wooden chair. Perfect. I couldn't even cook without finding a problem.

_Dobby._

My head snapped up. I glanced, startled out of thought. Where had that come from? My mind, perhaps? When I received no other response, I sank back into the chair, warily glancing around the kitchen area. Dobby. Why hadn't I thought of that little elf before? He'd certainly be able to fix my minor crisis.

"Dobby!" I called as softly as I could. I jumped when a loud crack erupted behind me. I stared at the elf in obvious fright. My heart was pounding in my ears. Adrenaline flowed through my body. I was going into fight or flight "syndrome" as Hermione had stated over the summer. I took a deep breath, trying to settle my scattered nerves in an attempt as to not hex the elf for scaring me. After going through a summer of apparating twins, how had I _not _gotten used to that sound? _How had I allowed the elf to scare me like that?_

"Dobby at your service, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby announced as scaring me shitless. My eyes widened at the name he used for me. I knew I wasn't wearing my glamour, so how had he recognized me.

"Dobby, how do you know that I'm Harry?" I questioned the little elf. The house elf beamed.

"Your magic tells Dobby everything, Harry Potter, sir! Only an elf can sense the changes, though." I nodded in acknowledgement of his last statement of wisdom. So, the elves knew I was changed, but the humans didn't. Interesting.

"Dobby, do you know any transfiguration spells to upgrade this kitchen?" I questioned. "It's kind of…okay, it's beyond antique. It's _ancient, _like Middle Ages ancient." Dobby grinned and nodded furiously. I almost thought his head would fly off.

"Yes! Dobby knows many spells! Dobby will get right to work!" I couldn't help but smile at his excitement. I left the kitchen to get out of his way, heading for the bathroom to officially get cleaned up before cooking. The bathroom wasn't so bad. It was slightly more modern than the kitchen, which I greatly appreciated as I decided to just soak in the tub. I slid into the round tub with a sigh. I closed my eyes and just relaxed. I didn't get up until Dobby entered and announced that he was finished half an hour later.

After my relaxing bath, I quickly dressed again and followed Dobby to the kitchen while messing with my long hair. Frustrated, I tossed it over my shoulder before looking up in amazement at the remodeled kitchen. "Now _this _I can work with. Thank_ you,_ Dobby." Dobby grinned proudly, happy to be of my service. As I ran my hand along the cool stainless steel island, I said, "Hey, Dobby, do you know of any place in the castle where I can get a floo connected fireplace without the knowledge of any higher ups, like Dumbledore?" Again, he nodded his head furiously.

"Dobby knows, sir! There is a room known by us elves as the Come and Go room. It is also known as the Room of Requirement!" I arched an eyebrow. That name seemed so familiar to me. Where had I heard it before?

"Why is it called that?" I questioned curiously, looking up at the house elf who was bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Because it is a room that a person can only enter when they have real need of it. Sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not, but when it appears, it is always equipped for the seeker's needs. Dobby has used it, sir." He made to continue, but I stopped him there.

"So if I went to this room, I'd find a floo connected fireplace?" I questioned. He nodded. I smiled. "Thank you so much, Dobby. Could you tell me where it is? I don't believe that it would be safe to show me." Dobby nodded and gave me the instructions before I sent him on his way. I needed to prepare breakfast.

* * *

I know. It's a short chapter. Whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to tell my readers that I've finished the story and am starting on the second book. Woohoo!


	20. Chapter 20

It was almost an hour before the others rose for breakfast. I checked the time to find that we still had two hours before the school awoke. I was amused to find that there was nothing awkward between any of us, just as there was nothing awkward between Ace and I after our summer together. Though, I did feel a little more relaxed when Damen entered the kitchen.

"Cooking breakfast for us again?" he questioned as he walked up behind me. I smiled as he snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I chuckled when he kissed my neck.

"Let go, Damen," I replied as I tried to shake him off while keeping hold of the pan and spatula in my hands. I had to make sure that the pancakes didn't burn. "I'm trying to cook for you here! I don't want the pancakes to be crispy." Damen laughed and released me, leaning against the island instead.

"Don't worry, Takuya, I like my pancakes crispy," he replied. "Of course, it would be better if I could get a little dessert after." I shook my head. Despite my fucking him unconscious, he still wanted more.

"We only have two hours to eat and get back upstairs," I said. "So no. Save it for later. We have things to do. _Important_ things to do that involve a floo."

"You've found a fireplace? Where?"

"I'll show you later." I turned around and kissed him softly. "Breakfast is ready." He smiled seductively at me, his eyes glowing with underlying lust.

"Only if you're on the menu," he answered. I moved away from him.

"Nope. Breakfast is ready!" Damen sighed, but I laughed as he grimaced as the other came into the kitchen.

"Takuya cooked breakfast! Good, 'cause I was starving!" Ace exclaimed as he began to fix himself a plate before freezing. "Am I allowed to get seconds this time?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"You know what, Ace? I managed to cook enough for you to eat three times over. Go ahead." Ace let out a whoop of joy before piling food onto his plate. Gelly laughed at his eagerness.

"That's one trait that's universal no matter what form he takes!" he laughed. I joined in on the laugh.

"Did you make coffee?" Gabe questioned as he nearly bent over backwards in an effort to pop his back. "I'm exhausted." Damien grinned at this, almost as though he'd won an award or something.

I passed him a cup and watched in shock as he drank it all done hot. This guy was insane. He passed it back to me with a sigh. "Okay, I'm awake now. Wow, those pancakes look delicious. Are those blueberry?" I watched him with a mixture of concern and amazement. He was insane!

I sat down at the table with the rest of them after piling my plate full of food. As we ate, I told them about what Dobby had told me this morning. They'd been pleased to hear that we were finally able to get a fireplace with a floo, even though it was a little late. Truthfully, I was thankful for finding the fireplace. I intended on contacting Narcissa about the potion Salazar had told me was in his book after I'd read and translated it. I also wanted to speak with her about the doll creation idea. I could only hope that the idea would work.

"Harry, you've been really quiet since earlier," Ron said after we'd managed to find our way back to our respective dorms before Hogwarts awoke for breakfast. Ron and I were currently sitting in the common room of our tower. I'd been sitting in one of the large comfortable chairs staring into the fire that was forever blazing in the fireplace.

I jerked awake from the hypnotic flames and sighed. I closed my eyes, enjoying the blissful darkness that came with the action. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, Ron," I told him, smiling to myself. Ron shot me a doubtful look, mentally replying, _Try me._ I sighed and shook my head. "Fine. I'll tell you." I told him everything that had happened in Salazar's library after he'd left. The expression on his face was priceless.

"The Founders _talked _to you?" he squeaked, sounding like Ron again. "Why do you get all of the luck? I'm almost jealous!" I arched an eyebrow. "I _am _jealous, but I wouldn't want to be you in a second. You have too much responsibility."

"Thanks, Ron. That really calmed me."

"Whatever. You talked to the Founders! That's amazing! When are you going to start working on their bodies?"

"During the summer, most likely," I responded. "It might take awhile for me to have Narcissa make the cement I have to carve them out of." I went into the dorms to my trunk and retrieved the book on doll creation I had taken from Salazar's library. I paged through it before I found the ingredients page. "I'll need obsidian, orichalcum, mythril, avanium, basilisk blood, basilisk hide, Silverblood Dragon hide & blood, _soil from the dark side of the moon_, phoenix tears and a feather, adamantium, sydanite, and my own blood. Ronald, half the stuff on this list I've never even heard of! Soil from the dark side of the moon? How am I supposed to get that?" I dropped into the chair again and paged through the book before pausing. "'To make the doll's body permanent and top quality, it is possible to replace the soil from the moon with the blood of a fallen star, though it would be best to have both for maximum potential.'" I looked up at Ron who had sat forward.

"Fallen…star?" he questioned. We gazed at each other before smirking. A fallen star was exactly what we had.

"Gelly," we said at the same time.

I pulled out my parchment, quill, and ink, and began to make a list of the ingredients we would need to make the doll cement, listing out the exact measurements as I did. I carefully wrote out the instructions, making them exact as I didn't want to confuse them with each other. When I was finished, I folded the parchment and stuffed it into my pocket.

"Okay, where's the other book? I know a great way to spend our first Hogsmeade trip," I told Ron. He arched an eyebrow before shaking his head. He didn't want to know.

* * *

I sighed as I walked into to Hogsmeade with the other in tow. Accompanying us today were the Patil twins, the Greengrass sisters, Luna Lovegood, Su Li, and Blaise Zabini, who Draco had forced to come with him. Several students had been surprised when such a mixed group had formed out of pretty much nowhere. Blaise hadn't wanted to associate himself with us, but Draco had dragged him into it, him being Draco's best friend and all.

"Where are you dragging us off to, Potter?" Daphne questioned as I began to head in what she thought was a random direction.

"I need to meet up with someone as well as show you something," I responded. Ron scowled but didn't say anything against it, even though he was greatly against my plan from the very beginning. I shook my head. He didn't understand my reasons, my plans. Before we'd left for this trip, after I'd written out as much information as possible for Narcissa, I'd told everyone my idea. I wanted to add the Greengrasses, Patils, Lovegood, Li, and Zabini to our little group. I'd sensed potential in them the moment they came up and talked to me about what was going on. Of course, I didn't trust them completely, but we could change that. Ace had been against it because it was putting us in harm's way. Any one of them, excluding Luna, would rat us out. Gelly had argued that maybe I was right. Damen had sided with me. He and his twin had felt the same potential in them that would never awaken if they remained unknowing as they were. We could train them, help them reach that potential. Gabe had stated that he'd rather have them as allies than friends. Ace was out voted.

"So you need an entourage to go with you?" Blaise questioned. "I know the Greengrasses seem to like you, but that doesn't mean that I trust you, no matter what Draco says." Draco glared at his friend.

"Relax, Blaise," he responded. "There is a _lot _you don't understand."

"Help me understand then!"

"We'll get to that," I responded. "Merlin, calm down. It's not like I'm going to have you killed or anything. Look. We're here." I stopped in front of the Hog's Head and entered inside.

"Hey! This is no place for brats your age!" the bartender snapped as us. I strolled up to the bar and smiled sweetly at him.

"Of course not, but we're meeting someone here," I responded. I pulled out ten galleons and placed them on the table. The bartender's eyes widened. "We were never here." He nodded as he greedily took the money while I ushered everyone upstairs to the apartments. Knocking three times in quick procession on one particular door, it opened to reveal Narcissa Black.

"Master Potter, it is nice to see you again," she stated. She moved aside. "Please come in."

"It is a pleasure to see you again as well, Narcissa," I responded before entering inside with my guests.

"Did she just call you master?" Padma questioned.

"You don't expect us to call you that as well, do you, Potter?" Astoria asked. I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm, returning it with a smile.

"No, Harry is just fine." I motioned for them to have a seat on the couch in the sitting room.

"Well, what's this about?" Blaise questioned, folding his arms. I rolled my eyes. Why was this boy so quick for answers?

"Hold on. Narcissa, I need you to pick up a few things for me, and I need two potions made. One of them is a temporary cure for Bella." The woman's eyes widened in amazement.

"You managed to find a cure for her?" she questioned. I nodded.

"It was in a book a found," I replied. "Like I said, it's only temporary, but it will give us enough time to find a more permanent solution." I handed her the papers as well as the key to my vault. "You're going to need that because most of those ingredients are pricey. I know this just because of the fact that I've personally never heard of them."

Narcissa unfolded the paper and read through it. "I've never heard of such things, either. I'll look into it." She paused and unfolded the second paper. Her eyes widened. "T- Harry, this is for-"

"I know. I plan on making several over the next year. I made a deal with some interesting people." She raised an eyebrow in question. I shook my head. "I'll tell you later. How is Sirius?" Narcissa snorted.

"Annoying. The man is nearing his forties, but acts like a child. Unbelievable! How do you deal with that all of the time? All he wants to do is find trouble, and trouble he certainly finds!" Ron snorted.

"Yeah, that sounds like Sirius," he mumbled shaking his head. "Crazy old coot."

"I'll make sure to find the ingredients and begin on the potions as soon as possible," Narcissa said.

"Great! Thank you for coming today, Cissie." Narcissa grinned and bowed.

"The pleasure is all mine, Master." She disapparated away.

"Master?" Ron questioned.

"Shut up. We have over things to take care of, remember? Or do you want to do it?" Ron rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Just get on with it. Might as well. You're probably right, anyway."

"Right about what? Why was Narcissa calling you master? Why was she here?" Blaise questioned furiously. "Why didn't you say anything, Draco?"

"Harry, if you don't do it, then I will," Draco responded. He thumbed back to Blaise. "Just to get him to shut up!"

I rubbed my temples, trying to abate a migraine that I could feel coming. I stopped and stared at the people – _humans _– before me and sighed. "What I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential, as in, we could die if word got out about this, okay? In saying this, after I tell you, we're going to need to make a pack, if you decide to stay, of course."

"It's that important?" Parvati questioned. I nodded. Luna smiled dreamily at me.

"Ah, does this have to do with your odd energy signature?" she questioned dreamily. "I've been wondering about that for some time now." I stared at her.

"You can read my signature?" I questioned. She nodded.

"Of course. My mother could read auras. It was a unique skill that was passed down through generations of women on my mother's side. I have a diluted version of her gift." That was useful.

"Well, it does have to do with my energy signature, but that's not all," I continued. I took a deep breath. "Okay, this is what happened…" And I dove into the story. I didn't leave out anything – other than what Damen and I did before the change. They didn't need to know that. Ron and the others added their two cents in as well, telling us what happened during their summers after the change. Ron complained about how after he and the twins had been released by their mother for leaving the house and disappearing for days, he'd been unable to hear clearly. Fred and George were quick to agree with this. They're hearing had been muffled for a few days afterwards. Neville described his grandmother's outrage and near stroke after he'd returned home. He winced at the memory. I was certain that he felt the guilt from before. Draco described his return home. It had been much less complicated than I'd expected. His mother had already had some idea as to what she and her sisters were to going to do, so by then, they just needed a way to get to me, which they found in Draco.

By the end of our stories, our guests were silent. Blaise bit his lip and looked down at Draco before looking at me and back as his friend. "I'm not sure if I can believe that," he responded. "Your story seems too…too farfetched. I mean, I can tell Draco's not lying, but that doesn't leave out memory charms." I nodded in agreement. He wanted to proof. Everyone wanted proof, so we'd give it to them.

I removed the pendant from my robes just to show them. Tinkering with the clasp, I removed it, and felt my glamour slip from me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was finally able to remove my glasses. When my glamour fell, I heard several gasps before even more. I glanced over and saw that the others had removed their glamours, too. Ace ran a hand through his hair, shaking it to make it wilder. He looked over at me with his deep green eyes, and I just wanted to jump him.

"Oh Merlin," Blaise whispered as he took several steps back from Gabe, once Draco. He now understood that I had not been lying in the least. He turned to look at me with wide brown eyes and smiled softly back.

"Do you believe me now?" I questioned. He nodded dumbly.

"Amazing," Luna said as she poked Damien, earning a questioning gaze from him. "Sorry. I was just checking to see if you were real." Daphne stood and walked over to me before gripping my bicep.

"Yes, these are definitely real," she said, admiring my arm muscles. I smirked and flexed. "Very real."

"Harry, I've always thought you were attractive, but this is a new high," Parvati stated as she admired my other arm. Padma was looking over Gelly with extreme interest.

"You have such…feminine features," she commented, earning a snort from the twins and howling laughter from Ron. Even I had to start laughing at that one. Gelly glared at us.

"Fuck all of you!" he snapped. Padma blushed.

"I didn't mean it as an insult," she stumbled. "I-I was complimenting you, actually. You are very…attractive, Neville." Gelly smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Padma. I'm not Neville in this form, though. My real name is Angelico Tokiha."

"No, your real name is Rastaban, but your adoptive parents just call you Angelico," Ron pointed out, earning a cushion thrown at his face.

I laughed at their antics before stopping when I saw Su behind me, mumbling in Chinese. When she caught me staring, she blushed hotly. I smiled, trying to reassure the shy girl. "Don't worry, Su, you're not bothering me. Though, I don't see why you're marveling over us."

Astoria stared at me in shock. "Well, you're hot!" she shouted, which was very un-Slytherin, and she knew it. "We can't help but stare!"

Before the boys could get excited about the compliment, Blaise asked the question I was waiting for. "Why did you tell us all of this? You must have some reason for this." I nodded.

"I do have a reason. It's simple. Dumbledore is doing nothing about Voldemort's Death Eaters and Voldemort himself."

"Voldemort's dead," Padma stated. "Even you said that Dumbledore made the entire thing up."

"No, actually the goblins leaked that. I just agreed with it to recover my reputation, which only got worse since I blamed Dumbledore," I responded. "Voldemort _is _back. Hell, if he were still dead, he'd still be a threat because of his stupid Death Eaters. I'm not lying to you when I tell you that Voldemort has come back from the dead. Magic is able to make so many impossible things possible. Resurrecting the dead may be impossible in magic, too, but Voldemort did _something _to make himself a shade. He has a new body now, made with my blood that he stole during the tournament. He is very much alive."

I sat back in silence, watching their reaction. Parvati spoke first. "So Granger was right?" she questioned. "Why didn't you stick up for her then?"

"And look crazy? Not only that, but I'd also claimed that Dumbledore had forced me to say that he'd returned. I would have been giving myself away." Parvati stared at me, trying to figure me out.

"Why wouldn't you help your friend, though?"

Ace answered this for me. "She'd have been dead weight, anyway. Hermione is a brainiac with no brawns. She believes that she can read the entire library, practice a few spells, and become the most powerful witch in the world through knowledge. She doesn't have the experience to go with it. She's a know-it-all who thinks that that will help her succeed in life. She thinks that she's always right and never wrong. I found that out during the summer, and it reminded me of the time in first year when she wasn't my friend, and I couldn't stand her."

"A… rift began to form between us during the summer," I continued. "We'd change. We weren't the same idiots like before. She couldn't figure it out, so we just… fell out."

"Ace is right, though," Damien mumbled. "She _did _think that she knew anything. She was insufferable."

"She was also a huge Dumbledore supporter. Couldn't have that in our group," I responded. "We're trying to create a team, organization, whatever you wish to call it, separate from Dumbledore, separate from Voldemort, and separate from the Ministry. We want to create our own team, our own…faction. It doesn't have to go public. We could just work undercover. The Wizarding World is corrupt, and I want to do something about it. It might mean hurting some people, maybe killing someone. I didn't say that this would be legal. It is going to be dangerous, but we aren't going to let you just go at it unprotected and untrained. We'll train you to fight with the best and take down any foe. This world is in serious need of renovating, and I think that we might just be the people to do it. What to join?"

Silence filled the room. Luna gazed at me, losing her dreamily expression to adopt a more serious one. Her pale blue eyes glowed slightly. "I'll join. My mother constantly complained about how wizards were doing nothing about what was happening in the war, about how a simple little baby boy had killed the dark wizard! It should have embarrassed the Ministry, but they took it in stride. I want to join. A world that can't protect itself needs a good 'renovation'. I'm completely on your side, Harry." I shook my head.

"Please, call me Takuya," I replied. She nodded her head.

Padma stepped forward. "I'm in, too. Luna is right. The Ministry is incompetent, Dumbledore couldn't kill a fly, and Voldemort is just gaining more strength behind the Ministry's ignorant back! I'm helping! I'm tired of being weak! Teach me how to fight, and I'll make sure I won't let any of you down."

"I'm in," Daphne stated. "I'm tired of the stereotype that all Slytherins become dark lords. I want to prove that wrong. You can count me in."

"Me too!" Astoria added.

"I'm in," Parvati said. Su nodded, agreeing to join as well. Only Blaise was left.

The boy turned to Gabe. "Draco, are you sure about this? No one put you up to this?" Gabe shook his head.

"He mentioned the idea, and I fell in love with it," he replied. "This world is falling to pieces. Someone needs to fix that. We have the money to do so. We don't need any political reputation to pull it off."

"How are we supposed to save the Wizarding World from ruins if we're not going to fight this politically?"

"Fighting it politically will only cost us time. We need to permanently rid ourselves of those who pose a threat to this society. Blood purity will only create squibs. Mating with Muggles will only dilute the blood. Both sides are wrong, and the Ministry is wrong about magical creature rights. We need to stop them before they decide to kill them all. They could try to come after me, Blaise. I need to stop them before this happens." Blaise stared at him before turning to me.

"Fine. I'm in." I grinned. All of them had joined. That went off perfectly. Now for the fun part.

"What we're going to be doing is illegal, could end us all in Azkaban, and could end us all dead. So we have to keep this secret. I know a slightly painful, but efficient way of doing so." I stood and stepped forward towards Astoria. "Do you trust me?" She nodded. "Okay, this is going to be similar to the dark mark, but not as painful and less deadly to you." Astoria's eyes widened.

"What are you going to do?" I smiled at her.

"I'm going to bite you," I replied. She paled. "I'm going to transfer some of my energy to you, which will take the shape of a mark somewhere concealable on your body. It won't hurt, and I won't take blood. It's a simple vampiric spell. I promise that I won't drink your blood." Astoria nodded hesitantly. "Here we go." I took her by the shoulders, and I lowered myself to bite her neck, I mumbled the incantation before extending my fangs and biting into her soft, luscious skin. She gasped as my energy began to flow through her. I retracted my fangs and closed the wounds.

"There, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" I questioned. Her face was a hot red, and she shook her head, flustered. She sat down and was quickly replaced by Daphne. As I bit each of them, I got a hint of what their blood tasted like, and my throat was thrown into a blaze. When I'd finished with Blaise, I had to fight my instincts stop myself from sucking his blood. Instead, I retracted my fangs and darted for one of the others.

"Takuya, what's wrong?" Damen questioned. My eyes locked onto him. "Takuya?" My response: I lunged at him before sinking my fangs into his neck. I outwardly moaned as I drank from him. I heard Ace snort from beside me.

"I told you that you would get thirsty, but _no_! Don't listen to me!" I releasing my unintentional victim after healing his neck, I bared my fangs at Ace.

"Do _you _want to be my next meal?" I snapped. He held his hands up.

"Definitely not if it involves you lunging at me!" I glared at him.

"Uh, are you okay, Damen?" Damien questioned, earning my attention. I glanced down at the boy beneath me, who looked rather… was he panting?

"Damen?" I questioned, seriously hoping that I hadn't overfed and killed him. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head, and it looked rather unsettling, but there was something familiar about this that I couldn't quite figure – Oh my god. Realization erupted inside of me as I recalled what had happened a few days ago. That night when we'd all went wild with each other, I'd caused Damen to orgasm, getting the same response, though I had thought that it was hot before. Had my biting him caused this? I strained in my memory to remember what I'd learned from the Greek books before locking down on something. "Oops."

"Oops?"Damien asked. "What do you mean 'Oops'?"

I blushed, hard. "I just remember something I'd read awhile back about vampire bites."

"What about them?" I blushed harder.

"Vampires are similar to snakes. They are able to inject their victims with certain solutions."

"…You poisoned him."

"…Not…not exactly. Vampires have numbing solutions in those sacks. Most vampires do. I don't."

"What do you have?" I don't think I could turn any redder.

"…A, um…very _potent_…aphrodisiac." Silence.

"What?" Damien jumped up and stared at his brother. "Wait, so you mean he…"

"Uhuh."

"And that's why he's…"

"Uhuh." Damien stared at me in disbelief before his eyes changed to something more mischievous.

"Do you know how much damage you could do with an aphrodisiac that potent!" he shouted. "A lot! You freaking knocked him out! He overloaded with sexual pleasure! That's genius!"

"No! That's embarrassing!" I argued. Gelly shoved his way over to us.

"Is he going to be okay?" he asked. "Should his eyes be like that?" I blushed.

"Actually, he does that when he…you know…" I replied. Gelly looked up at me.

"Really? That's kind of creepy." I shrugged.

"Um, what's going on?" Padma questioned behind us. We turned to look at her.

"Oh, Takuya just made Damen orgasm," Damien replied nonchalantly. Heat rushed to my face, and I shoved him to the ground.

"It was an accident!" I shouted. "I can't switch between the numbing agent and the aphrodisiac. It's automatic!" Gelly shook his head at our antics.

"Takuya went a little crazy after giving you guys the marks," he explained. "He's pretty new at being a vampire, so he hasn't built up much of a tolerance, though I am impressed he didn't drink from any of you while he was marking you. Anyway, he decided to turn on Damen, and drank from him, instead. Since a vampire bite is probably really painful, vampires have venom sacks like snakes, only they have either an aphrodisiac or numbing agent. Takuya doesn't have the numbing agent, so he instantly injects his poor victims with the aphrodisiac. Under the effects, Damen passed out on Damien called a pleasure overload." I stared at Gelly. "I actually listened to your choppy explanation." I sighed and retracted my fangs.

"Good lord, I try to make a good impression and end up embarrassing myself," I complained. "At least this shows that I still have _some _humanity left in me." I turned to look at the new recruits, who were blushing with the new information. "I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. I am still new at this, but it won't be much of a problem. I'm not really sensitive to human blood until touches my tongue, so you could be bleeding right now and it wouldn't bother me." They absorbed this new information with relief. They weren't working with an insane vampire.

I glanced over my shoulder at Damien who was attempting to awaken his brother before extending my fangs and smirking at the new recruits. I felt their shivers as they watched me with wide eyes. "I'd like to personally welcome you seven into our new organization. Welcome to the Dire Wolves."


	21. Chapter 21

Training commenced the week after our Hogsmeade trip. I had us train in the Chambers after dinner every night. I wasn't the nicest teacher either as I taught them how do fire hexes and curses at dummies we set up around the chamber. We would have used the Room of Requirements for training, but it seemed that someone else had found out about it. It was in use at random times during the week.

On the first day of training, I told them of my expectations. "Now, I'm not much of a fighter, either, but by the end of the month, I want us to have mastered the basic defense spells before moving on. We can't afford to take things slow. We have limited time together, with breaks and all, though I'm certain that we could use several of my properties as places to train."

"Why are we called the Dire Wolves?" Blaise questioned abruptly, interrupting me. I smirked.

"Well, because wolves work in close packs," I responded. "They care for each other. Haven't you ever noticed that most wolf packs are very protective of each other? That's where I got the name. Dire Wolves are a type of wolf. I want us to be just like a wolf pack. We need to trust each other, be able to lean on each other for support, something that the Death Eaters are unable to do."

"That's a really interesting concept," Luna replied. "I never would have thought of that."

"It took him over a month to think of it himself," Ace mumbled. I laughed sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah. I was trying to come up with a name four our group when Gelly just told me to focus on what I wanted in our team. That really helped."

"There is also another facet we wish to include that will make our group even better than the Death Eaters," Gelly responded. He glanced over at me. I nodded. "We were talking with our own ex-Death Eater, Bellatrix. Yes, Bellatrix Lestrange, now Black. She told us something that made us really think. None of the Death Eaters were animagi. What if we were?"

"You do realize that it's near impossible to become an animagus, right?" Padma questioned. Gelly and I smirked.

"Well, duh, of course we know that, but we can easily bypass that," Gelly responded. "Right, twins?" Damien and Damen grinned.

"With the help of a certain someone," Damen spoke, "we were able to find an easier, quicker way to become an animagus."

"Through runes," Damien responded. "Now, we know that drawing runes in time consuming-"

"-and energy wasting, so we've found an even easier way to make changing through runes less taxing."

"Let me get this straight," Daphne interrupted. "You've found a way to become animagi through runes?" We all nodded. Daphne shook her head. "I'm going to need proof." The twins grinned.

"Of course," they responded. "Give us a minute, though. The runes don't take in count the clothes." The girls blushed and turned around. The boys stripped to nothing, revealing their D.W. marks and also ancient runic marks for what I was able to recognize as wolves. They bit their thumbs, drawing blood. My breath hitched as the metallic scent hit my nose. I shivered slightly. I was becoming sensitive to the smell of blood. The problems of being vampiric. I wonder if I had similar problems as a wolf.

The twins pressed their thumbs against the wolf marks on their shoulders. I felt the surge of magical energy before their forms began to shift and change. Before any of us could comprehend it, two shaggy red wolves were standing on the ground where the twins had stood moments before.

"Um, ladies, you'll want to see this," Gelly stated. The girls turned around and stared in shock at the wolves.

"And that's why they're geniuses," Ace stated with pride. Despite everything, they were still his brothers, whether related or not.

"Today, we're not going to start the actual training," I told them. "Not right now, anyway. For now, we'll be picking out your two animagi forms. Your first will automatically be a wolf. It helps if we all have a form that similar to one another in order to communicate better. Your second will be any form you choose." I unraveled the parchment with the list of available animal forms they could take. "We have every possible animal for you to choose from. You can only have one so choose wisely."

I laid the paper on the table, and they walked over to find their animal. "Harry, there are five animals already crossed out," Astoria noted. "Why haven't you chosen yours?"

"I don't need another form," I responded. "My wolf form is enough."

"Takuya already has two transformations," Ace explained. "Even though the first is natural."

"Natural?" Luna questioned before signing her name beside the lioness. I stared.

"Yes, that certainly fits you," I commented. She smiled at me. "Well, I'm vampiric, yes, but because of something that happened to me in the womb, I'm also half werewolf, like my father. My mother was a vampire. So I already have two transformations. I have my natural wolf form, and the group's runic wolf form. I'm not like normal werewolves, though, so I can change whenever I want. I just haven't learned how."

"Why would you need two wolf forms?" Daphne questioned, not at all surprised by my confession. I rolled my eyes. Nothing surprised this girl.

"Well, from what I read, my wolf form is going to be…unnatural large, so I thought that getting a runic wolf form would be a good idea." Daphne frowned, but didn't respond. She, instead, marked her name beside the python. Slytherin until the end.

I watched the others as they named their forms. Blaise chose the anaconda. Astoria chose the snow leopard. Padma chose the Nightingale, and her sister chose the sparrow. I nodded as I rolled up the parchment.

"Alright, let's start training. Today, we'll be focusing on teamwork. If you don't trust each other, then we'll just be another group of Death Eaters. When fighting the Death Eaters, we'll be fighting for our lives. So you're going to trust each other with your lives. I already trust all of you with my life. Can you do the same with each other?"

* * *

"Hermione's started up her own little group," Fred reported to me one day as we were heading towards the Chamber. I was staring at the Marauders map in my hands. I gave the information a noncommittal hum.

"Is that so?" I responded as I watched Hermione's dot head towards the Room of Requirements with a large group of other dots. "Her little group is heading towards the Room. That's why it's been in use on random days. She's been trying to keep Filch and his cat from finding them out."

"She's been very secretive and stealthy about it," Fred continued. "I didn't find out that she'd been recruiting until earlier. She recruited everyone the same time we were talking to our new recruits. She and her group were in the Hog's Head with us."

"We were just above them."

"Exactly. However, they weren't smart enough to use a silencing ward. Someone else heard of this and is planning on telling Umbridge." I scowled and nodded. Now that Umbridge had made herself high Inquisitor, she'd banned all groups, teams, and clubs from holding any meetings or activities and such until they got her permission.

"Well, Umbridge probably doesn't really care much about it since they're still at it," I said as I rolled up the map and replaced it into my robes. Fred frowned.

"I'm not sure that's it, Harry," he responded as we neared the entrance. "I think that she might just be trying to catch them in action." I snorted.

"This is Hermione we're talking about. It will be a very cold day in hell before Umbridge manages to catch her doing anything academically illegal. Now, it's everyone else that she has to deal with." Fred nodded, and we headed down to find everyone there with us.

"Took you two long enough," Ace said as he sat on the chairs spread out around the main Chamber.

"You try dealing with Angelina," I retorted. "She had a fit when I told her that I couldn't play Quidditch this year, and now she's blaming me for anything that happens. Personally, I believe that Ginny would be a great Seeker, not that the Woods-possessed girl would ever understand."

"Yes, she has been at her bitchiest," Parvati agreed. "I'm not even remotely interested in Quidditch, yet she makes it even the more unsavory."

"Diehards can do that to you," Damen stated. Fred and I removed our glamours and proceeded with the training for today, though we decided to give the new recruits a few surprises.

"Okay, I feel like I'm really late in hearing this, but did you guys know about Hermione's rival group?" I questioned them as I rummaged through my bag for my gifts to them. They'd managed to survive the tattooing of their runic animal marks and managed to transform into both animal forms by the end of last week, which was rather impressive. They deserved a gift, in my book.

"I've heard rumors, but I didn't realize that it was real," Astoria remarked. "Of course, it's probably her way against Umbridge's stupid magically less DADA class. A study group most likely."

"It is a study group," Parvati responded. "They call themselves the Defense Association, sometimes Dumbledore's Army. I was thinking of joining, just to see what was going on, but she's gotten a contract and everything. I'm afraid that she might've hexed the parchment or something, so I turned down the offer. They have quite a few people in the group, well over thirty."

"I'm surprised," Daphne replied coldly. "I would have thought that the girl would have only gotten two or three sympathetic souls to join her little 'army'. I would have thought that since you two dropped her, her reputation would have went down significantly, but I've heard word that Cho, who joined the group, helped her gain more members. She's angry with you for some reason, Takuya." I nodded, crossing my arms along my chest.

"Yeah, I got that feeling, too. I think it has something to do with last week."

"What happened last week?" Ace questioned. "You called her a whore?" I glared at him.

"No, actually she asked me out on a date, and I told her I didn't want to be her rebound. She slapped me." I could still feel the sting of it in my left cheek, but I wasn't going to tell them that. "Maybe I was a little too…blunt." Daphne snorted.

"Do you really think so? Truthfully, though, I think you put the haughty little girl in her place. Her boyfriend just died for Merlin's sake, and she's already searching for a new boy toy just a few months later? Unbelievable! She deserves the title of a whore."

"Yes, that was a rather bad move for her, indeed," Luna said dreamily. "Of course, that's not surprising. She didn't really love Cedric, anyway. She played the grieving girlfriend part very well, though. What's the term I'm looking for? Gold-digger?" Gelly gazed at the girl suspiciously.

"Why, Luna, how did you know this?" he questioned. "Yes, rumors travel fast in this school, and yes, you are her housemate, but how did you know that she didn't love Cedric?" Luna smiled dreamily at him.

"My mother was skilled at mental magicks. She was clairvoyant and a Legilimens. I have a natural talent for both, though my clairvoyancy is stronger than my Legilimency. I am still able to pick up certain thoughts from others, though. For example, you, Takuya, are wondering why I never mentioned this before. You never asked." I smirked. She was right on the money.

"I think that we should deal with Occlumency and Legilimency during the summer," I told them. "I don't like having my mind wide open. Dumbledore and Snape could grab anything out of there." I held up the box I was holding. "Okay, before we begin training, I would like to present you lovely recruits with a gift."

"Recruits?' Blaise questioned, slightly amused. I shrugged.

"Leave it alone," I told him. "This box contains the twins' latest and greatest inventions." I set the box on the table and removed the lid, revealing several necklaces, bracelets, bands, and earrings. Daphne looked up at me.

"What are they?" she questioned. I grinned.

"They are versions of our… seals," I responded, finally finding a word to call the little accessories. "They act as Portkeys when needed as well as communicators, verbally and mentally. When need be, I can use these to tell you whether it is safe or not to come to the Chambers."

"Amazing," Astoria gasped as she admired a pendant. "The spell work must have been complicated. You two are geniuses! The Ministry would kill to have you two on their side." Damen snorted.

"Well, of course," he responded.

"We're only the best," Damien continued.

I rolled my eyes, and we proceeded with that night's round of training.

Later on, sitting on my bed with my journal in my lap, I began to draw the images of the Founders. If I were going to get their bodies correct, I should start by attempting to draw them first. I started with Helga first. I'd only be getting ahead of myself by trying to draw Rowena, though Helga was also difficult to draw. So I sat silently sketching my memory of the kind, motherly woman as best I could using one of the several pencils I carried in my trunk. Muggle inventions were very useful.

The dorm was silent as I drew in my journal. Soft and loud snores disturbed the silence every now and then, ending as abruptly as they began. Ron mumbled beside me about bacon, and I snorted to myself. He was thinking of food even in his dreams. The boy truly was a bottomless pit. Across from me, Neville shifted and rolled over in his bed, clutching the pillow tighter as he fought to remain asleep and comfortable. A few beds away, Fred and George lay quietly on their backs, dead to the world. I smiled to myself as I continued to draw. How simple it was to just fall asleep and ignore the world around you. I wish I could do that, but ever since I began to drink blood, sleeping during the night, or at all, was becoming a problem, or rather, a luxury that was something I didn't deserve.

I never told the others this, but I stopped really sleeping the night away sometime after I first bit Damen. I just wasn't tired. Sure I would sleep, I just didn't need to sleep that long. During the nights, I was able to get more homework done, and to continue to keep up in all of my classes. Like always, there was a disadvantage to go with the advantage. I would find myself craving more blood than necessary, or what I deemed as necessary. Sometimes I would find myself staring at some unimportant student because the desire to drink their blood was so strong, that staring was the only thing I couldn't stop myself from doing. My control was impressive, yes, but it was weakening. I was becoming a danger to everyone around me. I'd oust myself before anyone else.

I paused in my drawing, gazing down at it instead. Somehow, the image of Helga had morphed into something else, something even more beautiful than Ravenclaw. The image was that of a girl several years my senior. Her long hair floated on an invisible breeze. It was light, that I was certain for I hadn't done any shading. Her large round eyes were dark in color, what color I was unsure of. Her figure was that of a model's, no, it was more ample than that. She was barely covered, wearing bra-like blouse that connected with straps to cross with a cracked gemstone in the center, which was also attached to a spider-web like material around her neck like a choker. A sheer, web material was attached to the bottom of her bra-like shirt, creating an interesting pattern. Her skirt was short and flared slightly in the imaginable breeze. Her belt also contained a cracked gemstone as well. She wore sheer thigh length stockings, black from the shading. The tops were decorated in the same pattern as the top. Her shoes connected with her stockings, making me believe that I'd drawn her wearing boots. In her right hand was a long staff. At the tip was a large orb wrapped around the material of the staff. Floating just above her gloved right hand was a book. This girl was definitely not Helga.

**Hmm. Who might this be?**

I blinked several times as I stared at the paper. Had I just heard correctly?

**Yes, indeed, kid. You heard correctly. Now who might that lovely girl be on your paper?**

I stared at the page in my book, determining whether or not this was a joke by the twins. However, the twins were plainly in sight, and I sensed now magic coming from their general direction. This wasn't a prank. The voice in my head was silent as I thought this through. Finally, I remembered what had happened during my time in the Chamber in Salazar's library, and everything came rushing back.

_Godric? _– Me.

**Ah! So you do remember me! Impressive child. Most would have thought it a joke.**

_I am making dolls for you, ya know._

Robust laughter echoed through my mind, and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes. Yes, very amusing.

**Go to sleep, boy. We'll talk better this way.**

I sighed and gazed down at the picture one last time. I could actually see her as alive person. Should I make her into a doll, or was I trying too hard? I closed the book, locking it shut. I tossed it into my trunk at the foot of the bed before turning off my light and snuggling down into the comforts of my bed. Sleep overcame me easily.

I opened my eyes again to find myself lying in the Gryffindor common room again. I sat up and turned around, not really surprised when I saw the Founders, however, the other two were surprising. I raised an eyebrow and looked them over. "Fred? George?" I questioned. The twin boys looked me with obvious disdain before sighing in exasperation.

"No," the one to the left said. "Fabian." He pointed to himself. He pointed to his brother. "Gideon." I stared at the two before turning to the Founders.

"Are these the two souls you told me about?" I questioned. "Because they look an awful lot like my twins." Rowena laughed softly, her voice like bells to my ears.

"That is because they are related to your twins, Takuya," Salazar explained calmly. "These are Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Molly Weasley nee Prewett's brothers younger twin brothers. They are the twins' dead uncles." My eyes widened, and I turned to the deceased twins. Now that I looked at them, I saw that they lacked Arthur Weasley's bright red hair and dominant blue eyes. In their place were soft brown eyes and almost black hair.

"Oh wow," was all I managed to get out. Fabian looked me over, again giving me the same look of disdain.

"Is this the one who is to be giving us new bodies?" he questioned Salazar. He frowned. "If he is, I already don't trust him." Gideon nodded in agreement.

"Why should we trust a vampire with Voldemort still on the loose?" he snapped, causing me to flinch back. "It's common knowledge that the vampires are on the same side as Voldemort. He could be working for him!"

"Takuya was raised to be Gryffindor," Rowena countered. "He may not be light anymore, but dark he certainly is not! Such information you cannot gain from a simply look. Talking to him will gain much more information than not talking to him. Takuya, would you please tell them about yourself? They were too depressed to watch the events that unfolded on Earth, though they did manage to catch tidbits about Voldemort. Please fill them in on what has happened." I nodded and turned back to the twins. They glared at me and turned away. I could feel the distrust flowing off them in waves. I frowned. I didn't like this situation.

"Um," I began awkwardly, not knowing where to start. "Well, I suppose I could tell you about myself while giving you information about what's going on in the Wizarding World. Yes, that sounds much easier. My name is Takuya Takahashi. I am half vampire, half werewolf." This caught Gideon's attention. His eyes burned with rage.

"Impossible!" he snapped. "You're lying! A werewolf can't be a vampire! A werewolf's saliva is poisonous to a vampire, just as a vampire's saliva is poisonous to a werewolf! It's not possible!"

"I was born this way," I mumbled softly, gaining silence. "My parents, Haruo and Izayoi Takahashi, were werewolf and vampire respectively. I was supposed to have a twin brother, but while still in the womb, we merged and became me. One of us was supposed to be a wolf while the other was supposed to be a vamp. The merging caused me to be both." The fire in Gideon's eyes extinguished, replaced with guilt, regret, and sorrow. Fabian had yet to turn and look at me. I continued. "When I was a year old, I absorbed an artifact that my family kept safe. It was known as the Dark Soul." Both twins flew from their seats, spitting curses at me as they did so. Godric grabbed them and held them back so as to not do any harm to me.

"When I absorbed the artifact, my fate was sealed," I continued, my eyes shut tightly as I tried to ignore the sharp words they were yelling at me. "I'm a shadow elemental and the next god of darkness. My life was on the line. I was already hated because of my mixed blood. Now, everyone in my parent's kingdom wanted to kill. Lovely, right? So my parents, in order to protect me, placed a heavily glamour onto me, aging me back three years until I was one and giving me to their friends and ex-classmates Lily and James Potter to care for. I became Harry Potter that day.

"On Halloween that same year, due to the accuracy of the memory charms that were placed on everyone close to the Potter family, Voldemort attacked Godric Hallows and attacked the Potter's household. He killed Lily and James, but when he sent the killing curse to me, it deflected and hit him. I became the Boy-Who-Lived for killing Voldemort at the age of one. After that, I was sent to live with Lily's Muggle sibling, who's family treated me like shit.

"When I was eleven, I got my first letter to Hogwarts. By then, the world had settled into a state of peace. Everyone in the Wizarding World was relaxed now that Voldemort was dead, however, several of his Death Eaters were still on the loose. I was shipped off to Hogwarts a week later, my uncle moving the family in order to stop the owl letters from coming. He believed and still believes that magic is freakish and tended to beat the freakishness out of me on several occasions. When I went to Hogwarts, I became a Gryffindor through careful manipulations and luck caused by Dumbledore who has been manipulating me my entire life."

"Liar!" Gideon shouted, trying to lunge at me. He failed due to being caught in one of Godric's arms. His brother was held back by the other. "Albus Dumbledore is not a manipulator! How dare you smear his name like that, you freak?" A chill ran through my body. Years of torment and misery flashed before my eyes. I took several deep breaths in an effort to calm the storming emotions that raged through me. It failed, though, and before I realized it, I was hunched over clutching my chest in an effort to breathe through the painful sobs that erupted from my body. Sorrow and grief coursed through me painfully. My body was wracked with gut-wrenching sobs. My vision was blurred with tears. The pain came rushing back to me so quickly that crying was the only way to relieve me of the debilitating agony. I was a freak.

For the past two months, I have been trying to ignore that thought, that idea. I was normal. I was just a vampire. I was just a werewolf. I was never both. I haven't even managed to change yet. I was never both a vampire _and _a werewolf. I was always just Takuya. Now, Gideon's blatant disgust and hatred with me sent me back in time to when I was little Harry Potter, craving for the love and affection that I would never receive from my aunt. I was sent back to the time where I was beaten just for existing, where I would lay bleeding in the cupboard underneath the stairs, and wait to die, only to be healed the next morning. My life was nothing more than an endless cycle of pain. Happiness, a mistake, then pain. Always.

"Gideon, shut up!" I heard Salazar shout through the torrid of insults and curses the twins were sending in my direction. "Fabian, I will personally hex your mouth off! Both of you, SHUT UP!"

"You're siding with him, oh great Slytherin?" one of the twins shouted. "Of course _you _would side with that… that _freak!_"

"QUIET!" Godric shouted as a pair of hands wrapped themselves around me gently, treating me like a delicate crystal flower that might break at any moment. I caught Rowena's scent as well as Helga's. They were the ones holding me.

"_You're _siding with him, too?" one of the twins shouted. "Has living in limbo warped your mind?"

"That's enough!" Rowena shouted. "Takuya has been through hell and more only because he was born! How dare you treat him as though he were lower than you!"

"Takuya is fully capable of sending you two back to the In-between whenever he wishes!" Salazar snapped. "I know that you two definitely do not wish to return there!" The room became silent as the twins were forced to calm down. Either that, or Rowena had decided to shut them up indefinitely.

Helga clutched me to her chest as I sobbed, trying to keep the heartache away. She rubbed my back in soothing circles, lessening the agonizing pain in my heart. She whispered soft words of comfort into my ears, and slowly, I stopped crying and just lay against her, wanting to be held. Me, an eighteen year old, wanting to be held like a child. It would have been humiliating if I weren't such an emotional wreck at the moment.

"Takuya?" Salazar whispered. "I think you should just return to the surface. I would be better that way. The twins are obviously not ready to meet you yet." I was silent as I listened to him. Suddenly, all of the pain and sorrow in my heart turned to fierce anger and determination. I pulled away from Helga, who looked at me in surprise. I glared up at Salazar, who took a step back at the fierceness in my eyes.

"No." The word came out so strongly that it surprised me, but only for a moment. "No. I am not leaving. Not yet." I stood up, dried my eyes, and glared at the insolent pricks before me. To Godric, I said, "Let them go." He looked at me, surprised.

"Takuya, they could hurt you," he began, but I shook my head. "Your soul can't heal well from an attack! It could be –"

"Let them go!" I snapped, turning my gaze towards him. He winced and looked away directly after eye contact. "I don't care! Let them go!" Godric grimaced before reluctantly releasing his grip on the twin souls. They darted towards me as soon as they were sure that Godric wasn't going to grab them again.

I watched the Fred and George look-a-likes before simply flicking my wrist. In a show of great wandless magic and control over raw magic, I sent the two young men flying into the wall across from me. Godric leapt out of the way, managing to dodge the flying bodies. The two landed on the wall with a resounding thud. With a snap of my fingers, chains appeared to bind them there. Upon their appearance, Gideon and Fabian began to struggle against their bonds.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax, or at least try to. When I opened them, I shot the twins my iciest glare. It must as have worked for Fabian flinched and looked away. His brother, seeing his reaction, didn't even bother to look at me. I smirked. Voluntary respect was nice, but being feared was so much better.

Taking a step forward, I said, "I'm done with being nice. Since you can't give me respect, I won't give you any either, you insolent pricks. How dare you insult me, _curse _me inside of my own mind? Unacceptable. If you so much as _think _another insult at me, I will destroy your very essence. You spent most of your life in Purgatory. I'm sure that you certainly don't want to be forced to pass on." Gideon lifted his gaze to glare at me.

"Why don't you just try, you freak?" he sneered. I flicked my wrist. He cried out as his chains became tighter, digging deeper into his skin.

"Like Godric said, you ridiculous fool, a soul can doesn't heal well, but wounds nicely. I promise you that if you insult me once more, I will personally send you to the deepest depths of hells." I watched as they paled in color, though Gideon continued to glare at me as though I weren't the most terrifying thing in front of him. I decided to wipe that glare right off his face. "The moment you ignorant bastards entered my body you became mine." That did the trick.

Gideon stared at me with wide brown eyes, disbelieving me. "What the bloody hell do you mean by that?" he questioned frantically. He snapped his head towards Rowena. "What is talking about?" He turned to the other Founders. "He's not right, is he?" His eyes glowed with hope that I wasn't telling the truth. That glow vanished the instant Rowena nodded her head.

"Yes, he is right," she responded solemnly, somewhat coldly to the young man. "What Takuya speaks of is the natural bond that is created between a doll and its creator. The moment you entered his body as a secondary soul, he became your master. You are his, just as Fabian is. Just as I and the others are. When we gain our new bodies, we will cease to be individuals, and instead will be Takuya's property to use as he wishes. We will be mere…objects." Both twins turned from her to me. I broke into a grin at the horror that was displayed on their faces.

"Yes, once you're in your new bodies, you will be mine," I told them. "Now that you're in my body as secondary souls, you're mine as well. You are no longer individual beings, but instead, property of mine. Of course, when you're given your new bodies, I was going to forget about that entire endeavor and treat you as your own individual self. However, you two in specific pissed me off, so that little thought was tossed. Only for you two, though. The Founders will remain as their own individual selves. You two will become my personal…assistants. I can't wait until I create your bodies. This will be fun."

Fabian glanced back and forth between me and the Founders. "Please tell me that this is a joke," he pleaded. "Please. I hadn't known anything about this! That's unfair!"

"No, it's very fair," Salazar responded. "You insulted Takuya-san, so now you're paying for it. That's what is call justice." Fabian turned to me, doing a rather comical impression of a fish.

"Are you really going to do it? Really?" he questioned. I cocked my head to the side and thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, I am," I replied. "You'd have to do whatever I wanted you to do. The entire idea of being a servant." I smiled at his horrified face. His brother carried the identical look. I turned to the Founders and smiled. "I understand that doing this is borderline evil, but it was necessary. Forgive me." I bowed quickly. Rowena nodded.

"Yes, that was rather evil, but we understand why you would want to…enslave them unlike us," she responded. She glared at the twins. "I would, too." I smiled.

"Good night, guys," I told them. "I'll see you tomorrow." They nodded, and I drifted off back into unconsciousness. My sleep was filled with strange dreams that night, most about the Prewett twins. Oh how I couldn't wait for the day they were given new bodies. I was giddy with excitement.


	22. Chapter 22

I yawned as I was forced to sit through a particularly boring lesson in History. Beside me, reading a book on Runes, Ron sat. He occasionally glanced over at my journal to catch my nearly completed sketch of yet another mysterious woman that had suddenly appeared on my paper. She was quite similar to the woman from before, but she exuded a purity that the woman before certainly did not give off. This woman had long hair that was perfectly straight, whereas the other woman's hair fuller and slightly wavy. She had round, lightly shaded eyes. The color I was unsure of. She wore a more covering blouse that matched her mid-thigh length skirt. Like the woman before, she too wore a cross attached to both the blouse and to a choker around her neck. Unlike the other woman, the gemstone in the center of her cross was intact. Attached to the front of her skirt by a belt was a larger cross with its gemstone still intact.

Ron glanced over as I added details to the outfit as well as finished shading in the rest of her. He nodded appreciatively before continuing to read from his book. I returned to sketching the girl before turning the page and starting on a new drawing. I'd already drawn the images of the Founders and the Prewett twins. I wanted to work on James and Lily now, but I didn't know how to draw them. Well, I did, but their current images were too…they were too well known. Their faces were known throughout Godric Hollow. They were dead celebrities, parents to the Boy-Who-Lived. It would be impossible for them interact in public, not that they would, but, how could they be possible spies if they were so famous? He'd need to remake their image while keeping their personality intact, which was rather simple, if they didn't disagree with the change, anyway.

I decided to save drawing for later, and began to write out things I could possibly wish to draw for their bodies.

**"Try thinking of their personalities, kid," **Godric's voiced echoed throughout my mind.

_Well, that might help, but I would rather ask them what they'd want for me to draw than to just surprise them, ya know? I mean, you guys would be mad if I just drew you without asking how you wanted to look, right?_

**I completely agree," **Rowena replied. **"Very good thinking, Takuya. I am certain, though, that you would get more done if you actually paid attention in class." **I sighed softly, closed my book and stared forward at Binns, forcing my focus onto him. Ron glanced over at me, surprised, before realization crossed over his eyes, and he turned back to the book his was reading. I'd told him and the other heirs about the Founders and twins talking to me mentally awhile back. He must have assumed that they had instructed me to pay attention. At least, I hope that's what he thought.

The next half hour was a blur to me. Really, I can't remember it! It's a blank in my mind, and I'm not sure that I want to remember any of it. The only thing I remember was that I was bored out of my mind. As Ron and I left the classroom, I tried hard to recall what had happened, what had been said, but nothing popped up. Ron noticed my frustration and laughed aloud.

"Blimey, mate, what are you so stuck on?" he questioned, sounding a lot like the original Ron. I groaned and shook my head.

"Did I fall asleep in class or something?" I questioned. "I can't remember anything that happened after I closed my book." Ron snorted and shook his head.

"You were very much awake, though kind of…not there. Like at all. You zoned out so strongly that you didn't seem to feel when Hermione hit you with a silent shock spell. Actually, you jumped slightly, mumbled an 'Ow', and went right back to staring at Binns. Hermione was aback, which gave me the chance to tell Binns and get her into detention. Thank by the way. That was fun." Ron stopped and turned around to gaze at where he had left me standing. I'd frozen in astonishment.

"She _shocked _me?" I very nearly screech before lowering my voice at the eyes that landed on us. I darted forward, grabbed Ron by the arm and jerked him from the corridor and into an empty classroom. "She _shocked _me?" This time, I did screech. The look Ron gave me made me feel crazy.

"You don't remember that?" he questioned.

"No! I told you! I don't remember anything from the moment I closed my book! She _shocked _me?" I couldn't get that out of my head. Spells that dealt with electricity were high level spells. Most, if not all, elemental spells were high level spells. I could cast an elemental spell with ridiculous ease. Probably has to do with my elemental blood. Ron and the other heirs and the others in D.W. couldn't, other than Gelly, who had yet to explain why. The thought of Hermione being able to perform such spells made my blood run cold. Hermione was getting stronger.

"Uh, Takuya, are you alright?" I heard Ron questioned. My eyes snapped up to catch his. I blinked for a moment before shaking my head.

"No. No, I'm not." I stopped, my throat closing as a shiver of fear ran down my back. I'd underestimated her. My mistake would be the death of me. It scared me that I'd underestimated her to this extent. It scared me how powerful she was becoming. I lost my ability to breathe for a moment. I was afraid of Hermione.

"Takuya?" I looked up at Ron again before clearing my throat and swallowing hard. I took several deep breaths trying to calm my racing heart. I shook my head before grabbing Ron's arm.

"C-come on, Ron," I told him as I dragged him from the room. "We have to get to our next class." Ron was quiet. It was a quiet that stemmed from fright. It was the same fright that was etched on my face. A fright that froze my very soul. I'd have to be careful about Hermione.

* * *

I paced back and forth before the coffee table in Gabe's living room. I could feel the other D.W. members eyes following me. Ace stood leaning against the wall separating the living room from the bedroom, his eyes half-opened as he smoked a blunt, though I could feel his eyes boring into my very being. I was his main priority. No high could take that away. Gabe and Gelly sat in the recliners on opposite ends of the sofa. Gabe seemed just as stressed as I was. Gelly was pale for some unknown reason, though his face was etched with worry. The twins were standing behind the sofa, watching me with the utmost interest. The Patil twins were watching me with a mixture of concern and interest. Both Greengrass girls were giving me blank stares, a trick all Slytherins learned during first year. Su Li looked worried. Luna's gaze was serious, just as it had been when we'd first recruited her. Blaise analyzing me, watching my every movement. He was the first to speak up.

"What happened?" he questioned. "You're…afraid of something. What scared you?"

I stopped in my pacing and turned to them. "Not what but who," I replied. I took a breath. "Granger scares me." My immediate response was a snort from Daphne.

"Has her book learning finally made her a formidable foe?" she questioned. I scowled. If only.

"No, but her knowledge will only make her stronger." Daphne's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

Ace removed the blunt from his mouth and snuffed it in the ash tray he conjured. "Does this have something to do with her shocking you in class earlier?" he questioned, not looking up.

"Elemental magic is nearly impossible for anyone to pull off if they just don't have the affinity for it," I stated. "How in the hell did she manage to _shock _me in the middle of History, then? It doesn't make sense! Hermione doesn't have the magical reserves or potency to pull of elemental magic!"

"She shocked you?" Blaise questioned. "It was a spell?" Ace and I nodded. "How in the hell did she do that?"

"She must have gotten stronger," Padma stated. "Though, she's not the only witch able to pull off such high level spells. Fleur Delacour did during the Triwizard Tournament last year." Ace looked up.

"Fleur can use elemental spells?" he questioned. Padma nodded. A look flashed over his eyes, and he nodded before looking back at me. "So, what should we do about Granger? She's going to be a problem. She doesn't have a natural affinity towards such spells, which means that she probably trained herself and her magic to get to the level required to pull off the spells. I'm certain that after that simple lightning spell she used on you today, she was wiped for the rest of the day if her magical endurance isn't good enough. She looked exhausted during Potions."

"I think that we need to start working on our magic endurance and potency," I announced to them. "I'm not sure whether this is only Hermione or her entire group, but if she can pull off an elemental spell, we've got something to worry about. We don't know if her only main reason for creating the D.A. was. She could have been lying about it being a study group. Dammit! The girl's more of an annoyance than I had thought."

"If that's the case than why are we just sitting here talking about it?" Su questioned, surprising me with the strong determination in her voice. "We need to start training harder. We need to stop focusing on keeping our group secret and focus more on trying to draw out each of our potential. We can beat Hermione's little group. We have the power. We just need a leader to help us bring it out." She stared at me, her grey eyes burning with determination as she gazed at me. "Are you that leader?" I stared back at her, impressed by her confidence. I smirked.

"Why yes, I believe I am," I replied. With this said, I shook the fear off me, replacing it with determination. "Okay then, since you guys want a person to bring out your full potential, then I'll be that person. From now on, I'm your worst nightmare." They just received the leader from hell.

* * *

I dodged a spell that was aimed for my heart. Ace had long since disarmed me of my wand, but I was going to use it anyway. I wandlessly shielded against another spell while firing back. Ace conjured a stone wall in front of him, but not knowing just how much power I'd put into the spell, the wall exploded, blasting Ace to the ground. This gave me enough of an opening to stun him. He dodged at the last second – lucky bastard – and sent a reductor curse at aimed for my leg. I shielded with a shield charm which deflected the spell into the wall, blasting a crater into it. I rushed forward and hit him with a _Ventus_, successfully sending him flying into the wall behind him. I sent a stunning spell directly behind the wind spell, stunning him and ending the duel. All of this was done silently.

With Ace incapacitated, I turned my attention towards Su and Gelly who were dueling each other. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Su had removed her robes to reveal a tight fitting body suit that clung to ever curve and hollow of her body. I had never realized that the girl was so much more than a pretty face.

Su sidestepped and dodged each spell with practiced grace and precision. As I watched her, I felt as though I were watching a ballet. She moved elegantly, using the battle fans in her hands to deflect several spells before using them to fire off spells of her own. Hers were foreign, surprising me. This girl had been trained at home. I watched as she flipped over backward, allowing a spell to fly underneath her. Still in midair, she whipped out her fans and sent a stunner towards Gelly. Gelly deflected it and sent a wind charm towards her. Su conjured a stone wall before banishing it toward Gelly. The fallen star was hit with a chunk of stone, knocking him off kilter, giving her enough time to cast a spell in Chinese which efficiently downed him. I couldn't help but applaud the girl. Taking Gelly out was no easy task. I could just barely do so.

Su jumped at the sound of my clapping. She turned in my general direction and realizing that the clapping was coming from me, she blushed and bowed deeply, a sign of respect native to most Asian countries. I returned the bow after approaching her.

"Very good, Su, I hadn't realized that you were home trained," I told her. She blushed harder and dropped her gaze from mine.

"Yes, well, Father didn't want a weak daughter, especially after what happened last year, so he hired the best in Asia to train me. I had both a Chinese and a Japanese mentor. They gave me quite a lecturing last summer because I'd been slacking off in my training. This year, I plan to make them proud." I grinned at the girl before calmly taking her attire, earning a self-conscious blush from her. "Mother made and charmed this for me," she explained. "She told me to wear it every day underneath my robes in case of a surprise attack. She and Father are very protective of me and want me to be stronger. I try to live up to their expectations, but I'm failing miserably."

"You are strong, Su," I told her, lifting her head up by the chin so that I could look into her grey eyes. "Taking out Gelly is no small feat. I'm very proud of you. If you had of told me earlier that you were trained in the Chinese arts, I would have had Gelly trained you himself." Su shook her head.

"No, it is fine," she replied as I released her chin. "You know what you are doing. You are our leader. You know what is best." I laughed at the compliment.

"Su, I'm only eighteen. I don't know what is best. I'm just training you seven as best I can. I learn as you learn. I am open for suggestions as well." Su nodded.

"Well, I think we should learn hand-to-hand combat. You, Gelly, Gabe, Ace, and the twins are very good, no, amazing at wandless magic, but the rest of us lack that natural ability."

"I haven't trained you all how to pull on your magic yet."

"Yes, but I still believe that if we lost our wands, we shouldn't still be defenseless. We need to learn how to fight without magic. I propose spending a month on martial arts as well as learning how to use different weapons. This would help us better in the field." I nodded at Su's suggestion. She made a good point. The others lacked the ability to do wandless magic, an obscure line of magic. Being able to fight without using magic was a skill necessary of an assassin as well as a fighter. Also, learning to use various weapons wouldn't kill them either.

"Su," I began, "would you be willing to teach the lesson on magic-less combat? I lack the necessary skills to do so." Su's eyes widened in amazement before dropping into a bow again.

"I'd be honored to do so," she replied. She stood and her grey eyes glazed over in thought. "I would like to start next month, but break is during that month. Training during break would have been the perfect time to really learn the arts because then we could train for longer than two or three hours." I nodded before smiling.

"Su, do you think you can convince your parents to allow you to spend the break with me?" I questioned. Su gazed at me questioningly before realizing what was going on.

"I believe so. If I mention in passing that you were willing to train me or teach me wandlessly, or something of that sort, they'd be willing to let me stay with you." I nodded.

"Be careful about what you put in your letter, though," I told her. "Umbridge is being checking the mail." Su smiled at me, making me feel as though I'd missed something.

"I know this already, Takuya, that's why I'm telling them by the floo." She pointed to Gabe's chambers. "I noticed the fireplace and was wondering if it was connected to the floo. After using a revealing spell, I found that it was. I shall go and ask them now, if you are alright with this." My eyes widened.

"Go! Go! Ask them before you forget!" I urged her. Su giggled – music to my ears – and scurried off towards Gabe's quarters, effortlessly blocking a stray round from the duel between the Sakurazaki twins and the Patil twins. I glanced over at them, noting that the Sakurazakis were holding back significantly. They could have destroyed the girls seconds after the duel began, but they were dragging it out to see just how well their protégés were doing. I turned from watching them to watching Gabe battling it out between Astoria, Daphne, and Blaise. I was impressed at his skill. Dueling three people simultaneously was nearly impossible, but since he was doing all of his spells silently and wandlessly, his three opponents didn't know what to shield against and dodge from.

After I tired of watching the duels, I awakened Gelly and Ace, who sat down to watch the duels while I went to Gabe's chambers to rest a little bit before it was time to return to the dorms. Walking into the chambers, I found Su talking animatedly with someone in the fireplace. I guessed that it was her parents and walked into the study to avoid being seen by them.

"There is nothing wrong with Harry, Father!" Su shouted behind me. I stopped in the doorway of the study and turned in the direction of the fireplace. I could only see Su's back and the flickering orange of the fire, but I could tell by her stance that she was tensed.

"I don't care if he is sane, Su!" a male voice shouted back. I only guessed that it was her father. "The Daily Prophet constantly ridicules him. I don't want you to have anything to do with him! Associating with him will only bring shame upon our family! Do you understand?"

"The Prophet is a joke, Father! Only complete idiots would believe it! Why should we allow some stupid paper controlled by a corrupted government fuel our decisions?"

"That 'corrupted government' could deport us and send us back to war-torn China, that's why! Associating ourselves with Potter will only cause the Ministry to focus on our family. You know we don't have legal documentation to be here, Su. We shouldn't give them a reason to look at our family history! Do you want us to go back to China?"

"No, of course not, but-"

"Then don't so much as look at Potter ever again."

"I can't do that, Father! Harry is helping me become stronger!"

"He is helping you ruin your family! Su, if I find out that you've been seeing that boy, you won't be a Li anymore!" Su went silent. My heart was drumming in my ears. I couldn't believe it. Her own father was disowning his daughter just for associating with me. I wanted so much to walk over there and tell her to never look at me again. If there was one thing I was concerned about, it was family. I never had a family, and I put that first. I'd hate myself if I were the reason as to why Su no longer had a family.

"No, Father." My eyes widened at her hardened voice. She wasn't. She couldn't. Su lifted her head from the ground. I could sense the glare that she as giving her dad. "You can kick me out of the family, burn me from family tapestry, disown me publicly, and cast me out into the streets, but I will never turn my back on Harry. I'm willing to give up my family to become his, Father. Do what you want. I'm on Harry's side."

I clutched the doorpost, shaking. She was willing to give up her family to become mine. What did she mean by that? I've been training that girl for some time now, almost two months. She was still a puzzle that I could not solve. I couldn't crack any of my…students shells. They were all mysteries to me, though I knew that they were all loyal to me.

Silence continued to flow in from the front room. It was broken a few minutes later. "Su, you will always be a Li, but not in name," her father said coldly. "Don't ever come home." The fire went out. I leaned against the doorpost with my back towards the living room. I listened as Su slid to floor. I slid down the doorpost, landing on my knees. I'd just ruined her life.

**"It's not your fault, Takuya,"** Helga's soft voice filled my mind. **"She made her choice. You can't blame yourself."**

_It is my fault. It always is. I just ruined her life. Turned her family against her. It's my fault._

**"Takuya, I cannot allow you to fall into a depression,"** Rowena remarked coldly. **"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did so. Now you listen, young man, you can't control how other people see you, what other people think of you, or how other people act towards you. You can't control those things. You can't control others at all. Her father didn't want her to have anything to do with you because he didn't want their family deported. Su didn't want to leave you because she sees you and the others as a new family. Both decisions were based off the person's own beliefs. Su believes in you, Takuya. You cannot allow as decision _she _made affect how _you _act unless it strictly involves you. This didn't. Now get up and go comfort her. She needs it more than you do."**

I took a deep breath before lifting myself from the floor and entering the living room. Su was sitting on the ground, staring out vacantly at the fireplace. She was in a state of shock. I sat down beside her. This received no reaction from her. She remained still and vacant, almost as though she were ignoring my presence. I gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She jumped at my touch and her gaze snapped towards mine. For a second, I thought that she would slap me and scream, be angry at me for getting her kicked out of her family. Instead, her grey eyes teared up and she launched herself into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she sobbed. I snuggled my face into her hair and drowned myself into her scent. We both needed comfort right now, even if it was for two separate reasons.


	23. Chapter 23

Christmas break came quickly, however, it was what happened before that was more interesting and heartbreaking. Before Christmas came, Umbridge took over as headmistress of the school, kicking Minerva out of her office for the rest of the year. The Gryffindor head of house wasn't pleased at all with this, and took out her displeasure on her students. Hagrid returned to Hogwarts only to be kicked out again by Umbridge. He failed his class inspections. The same went for Trelawney. Parvati was understandably upset. Trelawney had been her favorite teacher after all. However, the holidays were made less jolly when news came about the death of Arthur Weasley.

It was early morning when the news came. McGonagall had entered the male dorms for the twins and Ron, but ended up taking me along as well. We entered Umbridge's new office with Ginny, who seemed to want to make it known that she wasn't speaking to us. Umbridge had been rather interested in my presence.

"Mr. Potter, I called for the Weasleys, not you," she said snidely. "You may return to your dorm."

"Whatever you have to tell us, you can tell Harry," Fred said coldly, gripping my arm tightly.

"He's just as much a Weasley as we are," George stated with a frigid tone. Ginny glared at them and me and turned to Umbridge.

"He is not a Weasley and never will be," she snapped. "I personally don't want him here."

"You can personally shut up, because he's staying," Ron growled, glaring at her. She glared back. "You don't scare me, Ginny, and you never will. He's staying."

"Ronald, you have no say in who's staying and who's not," Umbridge said sharply. "Mr. Potter is leaving."

"Just tell us why you woke us up this damn early!" George shouted. "Whatever it is, it's going to be around the school by morning, so just tell us. It doesn't matter who's here!" Umbridge glared at him. George glared right back.

"Arthur Weasley was found dead in front of the Department of Mysteries this morning," Umbridge said coldly. My own blood ran cold. Ginny's face turned pale and began to tremble. Her eyes rolled back and McGonagall caught her before she hit the floor. I glanced over at Ron who had his eyes squeezed shut. George dropped to his knees, his hands out on the floor to keep him up. Fred collapsed beside me, dragging me down with him. I grabbed him before he fell to his knees, wrapping my arms around his waist to keep him steady. His eyes were vacant, dull with shock. The man he had just called father had just died, and he'd never even gotten a chance to tell him that he wasn't his son. None of them did.

As I dragged him from the room with Ron dragging George in tow, the only thought I could think of was that at least he'd died without the anguish of knowing that three of his sons weren't his.

Umbridge was nice enough to give us the rest of the day off. I wonder if it was from the fact that I was just as shattered at the others were. Ginny clutched onto Hermione even tighter while we all spent the day in the Chamber, drowning in our own sorrows. It wasn't until noon that we got our wake up call.

"Snap out of it!" I jumped up from my seat on the couch and looked around, my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes snapped onto an irate Su Li.

"Huh?" I questioned. She put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

"I said, snap out of it," she repeated through clenched teeth. "You especially Takuya! You're our leader! Lead us!"

"You do realize that someone just died, right?" Gabe questioned. "Let them grieve."

"They can grieve, but what they're doing is drowning, not grieving! I'm pretty sure Arthur Weasley would not have wanted you to do be drowning because of his death." I frowned and shook my head.

"But I feel like I could have done something," I said. "I feel as though if that I'd kept that stupid mark, I would have known that this would happen. Voldemort must have been planning this. I would have gotten a glimpse or something…"

"Why do you always blame yourself?" Su shouted, making me jump. I stared at her in disbelief. How did she know that? Su took a deep breath and walked closer to me. "Why do you always blame yourself? You blamed yourself for Diggory's death. You blamed yourself for my disownment. Now you're blaming yourself for something that didn't have anything to do with you!"

"Anything with Voldemort has to do with me."

"Wrong. You need to stop blaming yourself, Takuya. Diggory's death wasn't your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame Voldemort. He killed him, not you. If you want someone to blame for my disownment, blame me, not you. I _chose _to side with you. I _chose _not to just dump you like my father wanted me to. It's my fault, not yours. If you want someone to blame for Arthur's death, blame Dumbledore _and _Voldemort. Dumbledore sent him to his death. Voldemort killed him. Blame them, not yourself. _It's not your fault!_" I stared at the girl before me. She was smaller than me, her head reaching only my chest. She was delicate, despite her endurance and fighting ability. She could take out anyone and anything in her path. Now, she stood before trying to snap me out of my depression, one that I could fall into at any given moment. She was right, I knew she was right. I was blaming myself for something that I couldn't stop even if I'd wanted to.

I placed a hand over my eyes and shook my head. "You're right," I replied. "I'm being angst-y again." I took a breath and dropped my hand. "Where are the twins and Ron?"

"They went back upstairs to talk to McGonagall," Su responded. I nodded and turned to leave. Su grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Takuya, I want you to tell them something for me. Tell them that when their family leaves, their other family is here for them, too." I gazed at her before smiling.

"Of course, Su." I hugged the girl tightly before leaving the Chamber and headed upstairs.

In McGonagall's office, I found the entire Weasley clan sitting with the ex-headmistress for tea. They looked up at me. Ron reached out for a hand, and I was happy to give him mine. Ginny, who was sitting with Hermione, wasn't has happy about my presence as he was.

"Why are you here?" she snapped, bolting up. "You're not a Weasley and never will be one, so just get out! This is a _family _issue that doesn't include you!"

"Shut up, brat," George growled. "Harry has every right to be here. He's just as grieved over this as the rest of us are. Leave him alone. Just because you have a problem with him, doesn't mean the rest of us do."

"What is going on that I don't know about?" Molly questioned, concerned as to why her children were arguing over me. Ginny pointed to me.

"He called Hermione weak and worthless and dropped her like she was nothing!" she spat.

"Worthless never came out of my mouth," I replied coldly.

"Weak sure did," Hermione replied with the same tone.

"Maybe if you didn't think you knew everything, this would have never happened," Ron replied with the same frigid tone.

"I don't think I know everything, you rat!" she snarled. "It's called reading. A concept that you've never heard of. Maybe if you had, your grades would be so much better!"

"Who are you to talk about my grades, you frizzy haired bitch!" Ron shouted standing up. "I have O's in all of my classes. The only reason you're so damned upset is because everyone thinks you're crazy!"

"I don't care what people think about me you bastard! I'm not the one siding with a liar!"

"Exactly what am I lying about, Hermione? That's Dumbledore's a manipulative bastard? That he's been lying to me since the day I was born? That he's the reason why my parents are dead and why Mr. Weasley died?"

"Don't blame Dumbledore for something he could never do!" she shouted.

"It is his fault my father's dead!" Fred shouted. "He sent Dad on some stupid mission and now he's dead because of it!"

"And so you blame the man who's fighting against Voldemort?" Hermione questioned. "Blame Voldemort, the person who killed him."

"Blame Dumbledore, the person who got him into that situation in the first place!" George shouted.

"That's enough!" Minerva shouted. The room went silent, but the tension was still there. Molly gazed at us in horror.

"What is going on with you three?" Her questioned was aimed towards her three youngest sons. She looked up at me. "And you, Harry? What's caused you to think such things about Dumbledore? He saved you from certain death at the hands of Voldemort as a child only for you to think of him like this?" I scowled.

"Why do you people think of Dumbledore so damn highly just because he claims to be against Voldemort?" I snapped. "There are so many look holes in his story that it's ridiculous! Why are you all so oblivious to how he's just using you for his own gains? I've never met such ignorant people in my life!" I turned to leave before pausing. "Ron, George, Fred, when your family leaves, your other family is waiting for you." I left after that.

I walked down the corridor, trying to release some steam. They were so annoying. All of the evidence to my accusations were right there, right in front of them, but they were so blinded by their faith in him, by their loyalty and belief that he could never do any wrong that they were completely ignorant to such facts. It pissed me off. I wanted to hit something, hexed someone, destroy anything. My anger was at an all time high.

I was vaguely aware of the energy crackling around me. Paintings flew from the walls, light fixtures shattered, raining glass onto the ground. Suits of armor dented before clattering to the ground. My magic was out of control, just like my temper. Several figures in the portraits recognized what was happening to me and bolted from their paintings, running into other portraits, gathering their occupants, and all of them running for cover. Tapestries ripped themselves to shreds and fell to the ground. Destruction lay in my wake.

"Mr. Potter, I'm just going to guess that this is your doing." I stopped and glanced over my shoulder and saw Severus sneering at me near the door of his classroom. I'd walked this far? I hadn't even realized it. His sneer widened. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention for destruction of school property, Potter." Funny, my anger actually grew worse and my control over my magic went from limited to nonexistent. In that moment, the energy that had been simply crackling around me became more like surges of electricity, becoming visible and violent. Snape took a step back in horror.

My out of control magic exploded around me, creating craters in the stone walls, destroying deserted portraits fifty feet away. Tapestries were reduced to ash along with random portraits. Light fixtures were popping like fireworks, showering everyone in the halls with glass. Snape dodged a flying portrait and sidestepped a light fixture that smashed to the ground.

"Mr. Potter, if you don't stop this at once!" Snape threatened, holding his wand up towards me. My magic pulsed in amusement at the supposedly frightening threat. His wand was reduced to ash in seconds. Snape gaped in horror at the remains of his wand, and I couldn't help but be remotely surprised as well. I'd never heard of raw magic reducing someone's wand to dust, though there is a first time for everything.

Snape ducked inside of his classroom, his face pale, and I continued my walk. Occupants of paintings screamed as I came closer, darting towards neighboring paintings and dragging their occupants from their portraits to safety, if they ever found one. Vacant portraits randomly combusted, disintegrated, shredded, or shattered. Craters began to appear on both the walls and the floors at random intervals, creating loud echoes throughout the halls. Tapestries disintegrated before I was even close enough to see them. Suits of armor either scrunched up into unrecognizably heaps of metal, melted into piles of metallic goo, or disintegrated at a molecular level. Windows shattered. Classroom doors spontaneously combusted, sending their occupants into a tizzy. Nothing was safe from my wrath.

I heard footsteps behind me and paused in my one-man destruction of the building. "Mr. Potter, calm down this instant!" I glanced over my shoulder to find Minerva standing behind me, her wand pointed at me. Snape came running up behind her.

"I told you he was destroying everything! Several ghost reported the destruction as well," he said. "The boy is a menace."

"He's angry, Severus," she told him, her eyes still on me, despite the glass shattering all around her. "Arthur Weasley just died, and he just got into a fight with his friends. He's angry. He's not controlling his magic. He's letting it control him."

"Stun him already then!" Snape snapped. Minerva shook her head.

"Mr. Potter, calm down. There are better ways to deal with your anger." Were there? Were there better ways? Arthur Weasley was dead. The only other father figure in my life was dead, killed by the man I hated the most and sent to his death by the man I used to look at as my grandfather. Diggory was dead because I'd inadvertently lead him to his own death. He was killed by the man that I hated with every cell in my body, unknowingly sent to his death because of Dumbledore's manipulations. My parents – the Potters were dead. Their deaths caused by their faith in Dumbledore, who manipulated them for his own gains. The Longbottoms were insane, who deserved death at this point, put that way because they trusted in Dumbledore so completely. Everyone was dying because of Dumbledore and Voldemort. Everyone who didn't deserve to die died, and everyone who did lived. I was supposed to calm down knowing this? I got angrier!

A huge gust of wind erupted inside the hall as my magic completely took over, unleashing hell on everyone in the hall. Minerva and Snape were struggling to stay standing through the brute force of the magically created hurricane.

"Harry! Calm down!" Minerva shouted over the howling gale. "I don't want to stun you!" I fought to keep my face blank but succeeded. She wasn't.

A wave of raw magical energy flooded from me, slamming into her and Snape, alighting her wand briefly before it disintegrated. She and Snape were thrown to the ground, landing with hard thuds. A classroom door opened and a professor looked around, realized what was happening from the damage, and shut it again. Now that was amusing.

Minerva and Snape fought against the hurricane force winds to stand again. Over the howl of the wind, I heard Minerva say to Snape, "He's too powerful. _No one_ should be able to reduce a wand to ash with raw magic alone. He's above even Dumbledore's level in power!"

"Well we have to do _something _before he destroys the blasted school!" Snape snapped back. When they looked back at me, I was already walking down the halls. "Where is he going?" Even I didn't know the answer to that.

Nearing the Great Halls, just in time for lunch to be ending, The Weasley clan came running downstairs following close by Snape and Minerva. My magic, which had calmed slightly sense leaving their presence, lashed out against, and the hurricane winds returned. Hermione and Ginny were thrown back. They rolled on the ground before coming to a halt several feet from where they'd initially been thrown. The others were just barely remaining standing.

"He's gotten _stronger_!" Minerva said. "Calm him down! Don't pull out your wands! He'll just destroy them like he did ours!"

"HARRISON JAMES POTTER, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Molly shouted, managing to overpower the howl of the wind. My eye twitched. Did she just _yell _at _me_? My already uncontrollable magic reached a new level of out-of-control. My main magic erupted from my core, awakening three other separate cores of magic deep inside me which all went berserk at the same time. My skin buzzed with power, and I breathed in sharply when it all escaped me.

The area around me was electrified with four different shades of electricity. My main magic was a bright electric blue. My other magic, one that seemed so devastatingly dark that nearly sent me into a state of depression was an electric purple. One magic that seemed wild and out for blood was a neon red. The final magic, one that was wild like an animal and was ecstatic with freedom, was moon white. All four danced around me, destroying everything touched while simultaneously creating a gale like they'd never experienced before. The Great Hall's doors dented and caved in on themselves before bursting into flames and disintegrating. The main doors to the castle dented as well, taking much more to destroy them, but they finally fell and collapsed to the ground before turning into a pile of dust. The neon purple magic got a kick out of this and decided to widen its range of destruction. I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Harry, stop!" Ron screamed from his spot clutching the floor, using his magic to remain in that same spot, though I could see him slipping. All of them were on the floor. Hermione and Ginny were clutching each other as they stared at me in horror. They'd never realized how powerful I was until now. Molly was clutching onto a conjured pole. I coldly gazed at her before looking away just in time to miss the pole disintegrating and her flying back. Bill and Charlie caught her.

"Harry, stop, please!" Bill shouted. "You're going to kill someone!" I hoped so. The neon purple magic blasted several painting in amusement, just to prove that I didn't care. That was when I caught Fred's gaze on something past me, behind me. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see a familiar streak of red. It connected, striking my back. I stumbled forward as my vision became blurry. My magic went chaotic, even worse than before, angered at the sudden attack. I stumbled onto my knees and fell forward onto my hands. My world went black.

* * *

All I heard was noise at first, but that was okay. Noise was fine. It wasn't screaming, nor was it yelling. Well, it wasn't much yelling. My head was resting on something soft, a pillow probably. My body was lying on something soft, too. A mattress maybe. I could feel the cool metal of my pendant on my chest. Was I still Harry? Did it malfunction during all of the madness? I tested the air around me. I couldn't get anything other than the smell of antiseptic. Was I in the hospital ward?

The noise turned to words after a moment, and I was greeted with several people arguing over me at once.

"Madame Umbridge, he lost control of his magic!" a woman, Minerva, shouted. "You can't kick him out for something he couldn't control! He'd just lost a man who was very dear to him! Harry probably saw Arthur as a father figure! It was natural for him to get upset!"

"That did not mean that he had the right to destroy school property," Umbridge said sharply. "He has to go now. He's a danger to the other students. His wand needs to be snapped immediately."

"Snapping his wand won't solve the problem of his magic," Snape stated. "I felt the energy he grave off. Snapping his wand would do nothing to him. With the power he contains, he should be able to do wandless magic."

"It is impossible to do wandless magic!" Umbridge argued.

"That's all uncontrollable magic is, Dolores," Minerva replied. "Wandless magic is just taking raw magic and bending it to do your will."

"So you agree that Potter _was _deliberately destroying the school, then?"

"No, I do not agree. I don't know how Potter thinks, but he could have just wanted to calm down himself, and his magic thought that the best way of doing so would be by destroying something. The school just happened to be something."

"You can't expel Potter, Umbridge," Snape stated coldly. "You'd be unleashing an untrained powerhouse onto Wizarding London. You can't put him in Azkaban either. He'd destroy the prison if he ever got angry. He needs to remain here to control his temper and his power. I'm afraid to admit this, Umbridge, but Potter could possibly destroy us all if he was really tempted to do so."

"Excuse me, High Inquisitor Umbridge?" Madame Pomfrey cut in.

"Yes?"

"I believe that Mr. Potter should stay. No, I said that wrong. He _needs _to stay. I just performed a diagnostic on him. I've found three previously closed and untapped cores inside of him. Now open, they are gaining magic from different natural lines. However, that isn't the reason why I believe he should stay. The cores were originally tiny, but now, they have become as massive as Dumbledore's. All four of his cores are fully recharged now and are continuing to make magic."

"How is that possible?" Snape questioned. "They should have exploded by now."

"Well, in order to explain this correctly, I'll use a metaphor. If magic were like a liquid, Harry's would be thick and getting thicker, rather than being thin like water. His body is condensing the magic until it can't do so anymore. As is does, its packing more power together. If he did a simple reductor spell using the normal required amount of power, he'd destroy the castle. If his magic continues to condense as it is, there's no telling just how powerful the boy will become. I'm certain that once he awakens, he'll be able to use extremely high level spells with utter ease, but there might be a problem with minor spells such as a levitation spell. That's why he needs to remain at Hogwarts. He needs to relearn low powered spells."

Silence filled the room, and I couldn't help but mentally sigh. What was wrong with me? None of my secondary souls were speaking to me, so I didn't speak to them. I had a feeling that they were discussing what had happened in my subconscious, though a feeling of dread washed over me at the thought of having accidentally ejected them.

**"We are very much still here, kid." **I nearly sighed with relief when I heard Godric's voice. Thank God, they were still there.

**"You're quite the powerhouse, Takuya," **Salazar stated. **"Amazing. Your cores are still creating magic even though they're full. To think that they're condensing it, packing it in as tightly as possible. You are certainly going to be having trouble with lower level spells. Don't worry. We'll help you." **I silently thanked them.

"How is that possible?" Hermione's shrill voice screamed in anger. "That goes against all laws of magic."

"Magic doesn't have many laws, but she is correct," Umbridge stated. "It is impossible for magic to condense inside of a person's core, just as it is impossible for the person to continue to make magic when their core is filled."

"Would you like to look at him, Umbridge?" Madame Pomfrey suggested coldly. She hated having her skills being tested. "Be my guest." There was a silence then a shuffling. Cheap perfume wafted over me as someone, Umbridge most likely, stood over me. I resisted the urge to vomit, though my stomach was becoming decisively testy. Another moment of silence before Umbridge mumbled a spell. Magic began to pour out of her. I outwardly gasped at the feeling. No one said anything, thinking that I was still out of it. Her magic flowed over me in gentle waves. I'd expected her magic to feel just as terrible as she was, but it was cooling, serene. So unlike her. I didn't belong with her. Something strange happened inside of my body. I could feel it happening in the area of my cores. My magic throbbed before suddenly, my body began to steal her magic.

Umbridge gave out a yelp as her magic was taken from her. "Stop you disgusting brat!" she shouted, but I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't control it. Her magic, delicious and savory, continued to flow into my body. My cores processed it. I could feel her magic settling just below my heart where it stayed there. "Release me!" Umbridge shouted, and I realized that she must not be able to move.

"Madame Pomfrey, what is happening?" Hermione questioned. A second magic began to flow over me. It was Madame Pomfrey's. I could feel the natural healing ability in it, and decided that it could stay hers. Umbridge didn't deserve her magic. So I continued to absorb it, sucking it in like a sponge under the guise of unconsciousness.

"He's absorbing her magic and creating a new core out of it," Pomfrey said in awe after some time. "Amazing."

"Amazing? You think that this is amazing?" Umbridge snapped. "He's taking my magic! He's going to kill me!"

"I can't do anything to stop him. He could kill me unintentionally. His magic isn't restrained anymore. He doesn't have any control over it. He's doing all of this unintentionally. His magic is currently controlling his body. If you want him to stop, you have to convince his magic to stop."

"And how do I do that?" She said this so snidely that I increased the speed at which I absorbed her magic. She let out another yelp. "Insolent brat!" I opened the cover that was slowing the speed of absorption until it was fully uncovered and nearly moaned at the feeling of her magic flowing inside of me. It was…orgasmic. "He's absorbing my magic faster! Make him stop."

I heard a slight hum near my head as a hand flicked a strand of hair from my forehead. "I believe that he can hear you," Minerva stated. "At least, his magic can. He does seem to have some control over this new ability. Subconsciously, anyway." Suddenly, all of the magic stopped coming in. When it did, I replaced the cover and reveled in the new core inside of my body. I heard a choked gasp before someone collapsed to the ground. There was shuffling, running, then silence.

"She'll live," Madame Pomfrey announced after another moment. "She'll be a squib, though. He stole her entire core, not just the magic inside. She won't be able to use magic ever again. A fitting punishment for any witch or wizard. I couldn't stand the woman anyway."

As Umbridge's core settled down inside of me, my own cores latched onto hers and began to share magic to it. After a moment, her core no longer felt foreign, and it was suddenly my fifth core, and had a light, frothy flavor to it.

"His body has accepted the new magic and has made it its own," Madame Pomfrey stated as she sent her magic through every molecule of my body. "He'll awake soon. The new magic would have affected him enough to give him a little energy." She was kidding, though she didn't realize just how much energy.

My eyes flashed open, and I came face to face with the blurry images of Snape and Minerva. Not a welcoming sight. Snape sneered at me while Minerva gave me a soft smile, gazing at me through her glasses. "Even in your sleep you're causing us trouble, Mr. Potter," she stated as I moved to sit up. She helped me and gave me my glasses. Snape snorted.

"Trouble? The brat gave us a blessing," he mumbled. "No more Umbridge." I gazed at him, confused for a moment before glancing over at the bed beside me where a pale Umbridge lay unconscious.

"Oops," I mumbled. I placed a hand over my heart. I could feel my new core throbbing with energy. It was growing stronger by the minute. "Well, at least she's not going to be in charge anymore. How do we explain this, though?" I'd already gotten right to the point."

"Don't worry, Mr. Potter, we'll figure something out," Minerva said. "However, you are a different matter. You nearly destroyed the school all by yourself. Your magic has grown so much that you can barely control it. Did you hear what we were discussing before you awoke?" I stared at her for a moment as I backpedalled through my memory. I nodded.

"My magic is condensing, becoming concentrated. Does that mean I'll have problems with simple spells?" Minerva rested a book down on the table in front of me.

"Try levitating this," she said. I nodded. She handed me my wand, but I waved it off. I wanted to do this wandlessly. I concentrated solely on the book and silently cast the levitation spell. As I expected, the book soared up and crashed into the ceiling. When the dust and debris cleared, there was a nice hole in the ceiling.

"Well, that's lovely," I stated as I looked up through the hole. I jerked back as the book came crashing back down, breaking through the table. "Just lovely." I stared at my hand. "Great, now I have to relearn the basics." I sighed in annoyance before looking up at Minerva. "How did I end up in here, anyway? I thought I destroyed your wand. Sorry, by the way."

"You should be lucky that was my back-up wand, Mr. Potter," she replied. "Miss Li was the one who sent a Chinese stunning spell at you. Apparently, she caught you off guard. You'll have to work on that, Mr. Potter." If only she knew. I glanced around her to find Su sitting in a chair near the Weasleys. She rose and walked over to me.

"You do realize how moody you are, don't you?" she teased. "You go from depressed to enraged in such quick procession that it's hard for a girl to keep up. Luna was the one who sensed your unstable energy. They were prepared to send Blaise, but I came instead. I knew you better." I snorted and hugged her.

"Thanks for stopping me from killing anyone," I told her as I released her.

"You wouldn't have killed anyone," she replied. "If that were the case, none of them would be dead right now." I shook my head before cupping her bandaged cheek.

"What happened to you?" Su frowned and shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just a little stray magic. It's fine."

"Did I do that?" She went silent. "Su, did my magic do that?" Su bit her lip and nodded. I snatched my hand away from her face as though she were on fire. I'd injured her. I was a danger to everyone. I should have realized that when I remembered how I nearly destroyed the castle. I was dangerous.

"Harry, don't you dare blame yourself," Su said, startling me out of my somber thoughts. I glared at her.

"How can you tell me that when I did that to your face?" I questioned. Su glared me, placing her hands on her hips.

"If you're going to act like that every time someone gets injured, you're not going to be much help in a fight at all!" she snapped. I flinched as though she had slapped me. "Forget the stupid scratch! It will heal. I can live with a scar! You need to stop blaming yourself for every little thing. If you so much as look depressed one more time, I swear I'll…" She cut off, most likely unable to think of a proper threat, but that was enough of a threat for me. I scowled at the girl.

"I'm beginning to miss when you didn't talk much and blushed every time I looked at you," I told her. Su glared at me, but the blush forming on her cheeks informed me that she still had an issue with me looking at her.

"You should be proud of me, not annoyed," she snapped before holding her hands behind her back. She glanced down at the floor, seemingly embarrassed. I couldn't help but find it so cute. "You really helped me, you know that? You and the others, really, you have. I greatly appreciate your help."

"And how did we help you?" This earned a glare.

"Oh, I don't know. 'Speak up! I can't hear you!' or 'Stop mumbling, it's unbecoming.' or my favorite, 'If you stutter one more time, I'm going to permanently shut you up!' Yeah, you guys were great." I turned away, trying hard not laugh and failing. "That's not funny! You're the one who threatened me, too! I shouldn't be thanking you, but I am. Thank you Harry James Potter for giving me the confidence needed to tell you that you're an asshole!" My jaw dropped, and I whipped around to gape at her as the Weasley boys burst out into loud hysterics. Minerva sputtered for something to say, shocked by the normally silent Ravenclaw's language. Snape snorted in amusement at the girl. Su herself slapped her hands over her mouth and turned a bright red.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to say that! You annoyed me so much that it just slipped out. I wanted to say something so completely different than that! I am so sorry! I can't believe that I said!" Su let out a yelp when I grabbed her and held her against me.

"You're babbling," I told her. Her face flushed an even darker red. She just nodded.

"Well, now that she's done talking, I would just like to say something," Hermione stated, gaining our attention. "He just destroyed much of the halls. What are we or what is _he _going to do about it? Also, we have no headmaster, nor a Defense teacher. Now what?"

"Umbridge will most likely remain on duty, despite our hatred for the woman," Minerva replied. "It's not like her class actually used magic. However, I'll be taking over as headmistress again. Now, about the halls, that will be Mr. Potter's duty, as his punishment for destroying them in the first place."

"I can barely do magic," I argued. "How am I supposed to repair the halls without magic?"

"Don't worry, you'll figure something out. However, that is yet another problem. There are many classes that deal with magic, but you're just going to kill someone by doing a simple color changing hex." I blushed. My control wasn't that bad. "You'll be taking remedial courses with me after classes until you get your control back." I paled. Su seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was. What about the D.W?

"I don't believe remedial courses will be necessary, Professor," Su said, gaining the woman's attention. "I can help Harry along with Luna Lovegood. She's able to sense magical energy, so that she may be able to help him measure out how much magic to use for certain spells. I can help her do so. This way, we don't take up your time, and Harry can learn at his own pace." Minerva gazed at her, trying to figure her out. Snape did the same thing. Su almost dropped her gaze, but a gently squeeze on the hand from me made her remember why she was doing this and solidified her determination. In the end, she won.

"Very well, Miss Li." Minerva looked at me. "Mr. Potter, meet your new professor. From now on, she will be retraining you in using your magic. Come, Severus, we must get back to our classes." Snape rolled his eyes. He didn't need much more invitation to leave. Both of them left the room, leaving me with the Weasleys, Hermione, Su, and an unconscious Umbridge.

"Harry, you have become extremely powerful," Molly Weasley said as she came up to the bed and smothered me in a hug. I felt myself getting lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. I was relieved when she released me. "You almost blew me away, though. However, that does not mean that you can get away with nearly destroying the school! That was very foolish thing for you to do!"

"I lost control of my magic for a moment, Mrs. Weasley," I replied. "I was more than a little angry at what had occurred in the office."

"A simple spat created that hurricane?" Bill questioned as he joined his mother near my bedside. I shook my head.

"It was more than that. After my 'spat', I ran into Snape who took away points and gave me a detentions, which annoyed me enough to unleash more magic. I destroyed his wand. I only grew angrier when he called in McGonagall. After I'd blown them off their feet, I calmed down some, but when they ran up behind me, it made me angry again. It's hard to explain but when you guys showed up, I was past my breaking point. I managed to awaken my other cores and that was when all hell really broke loose. I apologize for any injuries I caused." They shook their heads.

"Don't worry, Harry, we're all right, thanks to Su here," Bill said. Su blushed and looked away. I chuckled as placed a strand of hair behind her ear. She flushed harder but didn't respond as badly.

"Um, Harry, about Arthur," Molly began. I frowned, her face was still tear-streaked. I just caused her more trouble than was necessary. "We'll be having his funeral next week. I'd love it if you would come." Ginny jumped up from her chair.

"No way! I don't want him there!" she shouted. Molly Weasley turned on her heels and glared at her daughter.

"Quiet! It doesn't matter what you want! Your father would have wanted it, and so he's coming!" she snapped at her. Ginny jumped slightly before regaining her confidence and courage and glared up at her mother. However, the glare Molly sent her was enough to make me look away. "I don't agree with Harry's choices when it comes to his views about Dumbledore, but I'm not in the mood to defend the old crone either! Your father just died and the only thing you can think of is your foolish spat with Harry! Your father would be very disappointed in you, Ginevra! Now Harry is attending the funeral no matter what you say or want. It's not up to you! Now come on! We're going home to prepare for the funeral!" Molly grabbed her pale but angered daughter and dragged her from the ward. "Fred, George, Ron, we'll see you at home after you talk with Harry." She dragged her daughter out of the ward but not fast enough for Ginny to send a glare at me. I wanted to give her the finger, but changed my mind. Plus she ran out too fast for me to do anything. Hermione sniffed at me before rushing out behind them. Guess she couldn't stand the testosterone.

"Well, you just keep getting yourself into trouble, don't you?" Bill said as he leaned on my bed. I rolled my eyes and flicked my wrist. Bill was on the floor in a second. He landed with a thud on his back. I stared in awe at him before bursting into laughter. Su gaped at my display of power before slapping me on the chest.

"Harry, that was totally unnecessary!" she scolded while smiling. "You have to learn to control your magic _and _your temper." I pouted before smirking.

"Whatever you say, Su, darling," I replied. I turned to Charlie who was helping his brother up from the floor. "What are you guys going to do now about the Order? I wouldn't want to continue in such a group if the leader's willing to allow his members to die. Have you spoken to Dumbledore?"

Bill stood up on his own feet and gazed at me coldly. I almost shot him the same look before I realized that it wasn't directed at me, but at the memory of Dumbledore. "We're withdrawing from the Order," Bill replied. "When we first joined, we'd hoped that we'd be able to help people. We haven't done a thing during our time other than guard some item that Dumbledore ordered us to. It was his vague and cryptic instructions that led to my father's death. I don't want anything to do with him now." Charlie nodded, frowning.

"I agree, but Mum doesn't completely agree with our decision to just drop the Order," he continued after his brother. "She believes, despite what she said earlier, that Dumbledore knows what's best. We're at ends now over this, though Mum wants us to drop it until after the funeral. We're leaving the Order despite what she thinks. I completely blame Dumbledore for this. He really doesn't do anything against the Death Eaters." I nodded.

"I noticed that, too, which caused my change of heart," I half-lied. "If you guys want to really do something proactive, why don't you come to the Black house for Christmas later. We can talk more then." Both shot me a questioning look, wondering what I was up to. "Don't worry. I promise to tell you everything there." Both nodded.

After Charlie and Bill left, we put up a silencing ward and locked the doors to the medical ward. The guys pulled up a chair and sat closer to my bed. "That was so wild!" Ron said, bouncing in his seat. "I never expected you to go full out like that! I've never felt such intense magic before!"

"I've never felt such _wild _magic before," Fred stated. "It was out of control, unstable, and incredibly…untamed. _That _was raw magic at its best."

"What are the other students saying about the incident?" I questioned them.

"Several think you've gone insane," George replied. "Others think you were showing off as the Boy-Who-Lived."

"The younger students are terrified of you now, and many of the students are going to be wary of you now," Su said. "I think that they believe that if they make you mad, or if you snap, that entire episode will happen again." I sighed, gripping my head in my hands before running them through my hair.

"Well, it's not my fault!" I snapped. There was a silence. "Okay, yes it was. I shouldn't have let Hermione get to me, but the bitch is so annoying! She thinks that she's always right and that everyone else is wrong! It's ridiculous!" I shook my head, trying to calm myself. I sighed as Su ran her hand down my back trying to calm me.

"Okay, after I left McGonagall's office, I decided to take a walk down the halls as a way to let off some steam. I really wanted to hit something, but there was nothing to hit. I guess my magic responded to that wish because the next minute, I could feel my magical energy crackling all around me. Pictures started falling to the floor, suits of armor started to dent up a little, tapestries broke, and a few light fixtures shattered. Then Snape comes out of his classroom, takes points away from me, and threatens me, and I get angrier. I got so mad that my magic turned his wand to ash! That's how angry I got! Everything continued to go downhill from there, really. I don't feel like explaining it all." They nodded.

"If you could feel your magic going out of control, why didn't you stop it?" Su questioned. I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"I guess I was too angry to think straight. I really do need to learn how to control my temper, huh?"

"Yeah, you do," Fred responded, smirking. "Gabe and the others were worried when Luna reported a magical disturbance that felt similar to your energy. Su didn't even respond, but just ran upstairs. She was so determined to get to you." Su flushed and shook her head.

"I just wanted to help him as best I could," she responded. I took Su's hand mine and kissed the back her hand.

"Thanks, Su," I told her as I gazed into her grey eyes that were sharper in contrast due to her blushing face. "Thank you so much. If you hadn't of stopped me… I don't even want to know what I could have done. I could have killed someone. Thank you so much." Su blushed deeper and shook her head. She looked away bashfully.

"It's okay, Takuya, I was only doing what I felt was right at the time. You were a danger to the people inside of the Great Hall and outside of it. I just sent a simple Chinese stunner. You don't need to thank me." I smiled at the girl and shook my head.

"You deserve a lot of thanks, Su," I responded.

"So what was that all about with Charlie and Bill?" Fred questioned. "Are you planning to add them to the group?" I nodded. "Why those two?"

"Well, both are still young, and since they've left the Order, that would mean that they are now Dumbledore's enemies, or at least, not his allies. They're also want to help defeat Voldemort, and I believe that if I offer them this chance, they'll go for it. Plus, Dumbledore doesn't realize just how important they both are, and hasn't even helped them reach their full potential. Bill was giving off such a high magical signature that I was astounded by the fact that he was just a ward breaker. Charlie's plenty powerful, too, for being just a dragon handler. I think they would be important assets to the group." The boys nodded thoughtfully, contemplating my words. I internally smirked. Hook, line, and sinker.

"Well, I can't wait until Christmas holidays, then," Fred said. George nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose so," he mumbled. "It's going to be a little depressing without Dad, though." The Weasley boys nodded, and I realized that I felt the same way, too. The holidays were going to be so happy this year.


	24. Chapter 24

"Okay, so Daphne, Astoria, Padma, Parvati, and Blaise were the only ones who couldn't make it," I said as we sat on the train leaving Hogwarts for the holidays. Ron sighed and nodded.

"Blaise couldn't make it. Something about having to do something with his mother." I shrugged as I practiced levitating a book a few feet into the air wandlessly. With three awakened cores and a new one, my magic was still a little uncontrollable. We'd found out later that my magic had condensed to the point where it only took a miniscule amount to work the lower level spells and only a little more to work higher level spells. If I wanted to, I was certain that I could produce several Patroni without putting much of a dent in my magical reserves. This caused me to have to relearn certain spells – mostly the basics – but it did give me the chance to try something new.

"I can't wait until we leave for Greece," I said, practically bouncing in my seat. "All I really want to do is continue training with my magic!" George rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, Harry," he told me. "Spend some time with your friends and family for once instead of spending all day training." I sat still on my seat, looking down into my lap, feeling guilty.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I got a little carried away." George scoffed.

"Whatever, man. You owe me a big Christmas present, though." I cocked my head to the side thoughtfully before internally smirking. I had the perfect Christmas present for him.

"Exactly where do you live T – Harry," Su Li corrected herself.

"I can't tell you because of a stupid Fidelius charm," I responded. "That is, unless Sirius has gotten rid of it."

"We can only hope," Ron mumbled. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Why did Dumbledore put a Fidelius on the Black house?" he questioned.

"For his group of the flaming chickens," Ron stated. I snorted with amusement and the twins managed to stop themselves from laughing outright. Draco, Luna, and Su gazed at us questioningly.

"He's talking about the Order of the Phoenix," I responded before bursting into hysterics. I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Flaming chickens? Really, Ron? I would have said turkeys!" Ron grinned at my appreciation for his joke. I took a breath to calm myself and continued. "The Order is Dumbledore's super elusive group that does absolutely nothing. You know, the group Charlie and Bill dropped quit." Su nodded.

"I remember now," she responded. "Is the Order as pointless as you make it sound?" We nodded.

"It's worse than we make it sound," Fred stated. "Way worse. All they do is report information and talk about what to do next. Half the people there wouldn't be able to even fight one of the lower level Death Eaters. They just go along with Dumbledore's cryptic orders. That's why Dad died. He was one of the gullible ones."

George nodded in agreement. "Even worse, Dumbledore isn't even trying to train them. They're just all going to die. DW is better than them."

"Hell, the DA is better than them," Ron mumbled. Luna nodded.

"Susan and Hannah have told me of the things that the DA is training in," she told us. I arched an eyebrow at her. "They are trying to get me to join, though I'm certain that I don't want to join Hermione's group."

"I think you should as an inside source," I stated, "but it would be dangerous, though. I mean, knowing Hermione, she's probably has found some sort of way to keep everyone from telling Umbridge." I scowled at that woman's name. Despite all odd, she'd regained all of her magic and was again terrorizing the students. She wanted to keep me over the holidays, but letter from Sirius stopped that from happening, however, I did have a full month of detention with her when I returned. What a lovely present from her.

"She most likely does, but she's certainly not going to tell us," Ron stated. "Both she and Ginny will be at Grimmauld Place during the holidays for Dad's funeral."

"Can you say awkward?" Fred mumbled.

"They'll both probably ignore us," I stated. "Plus, we're not going to even be there that long. We'll stay for the funeral tomorrow and then leave for Greece. Narcissa is already preparing the Portkeys."

"That reminds me, Mom told me to tell you that she had a surprise for you," Draco stated. I arched an eyebrow. "She didn't tell me what it was, so don't ask." I sighed and shrugged. I'd find out for Christmas.

We continue to talk about what we were planning to do for the holidays as we waited for the train to reach platform 9 ¾. When the train finally stopped, we got off to find Sirius, well-shaven, waiting for us with Charlie and Bill.

"Mom wanted us to pick you guys up," Bill said. "Fleur is spending Christmas with us, by the way. She brought her little sister, Gabrielle, with her, too, so you guys aren't the only ones with guests."

"Are you still teaching our dear veela English?" I teased. Bill flushed.

"Oh come on, Harry. It's nothing like that, really!" Charlie nodded in agreement.

"There really is nothing going on between him and Fleur," he responded, grinning. "Which surprised me since he can't keep his eyes off her!"

"Well she is a quarter veela," I stated. Charlie shrugged. I said hi to Sirius and held him back as the others followed Charlie and Bill with their trunks.

"Have you spoken to Remus recently?" I questioned. "Narcissa said that she sent him to run errands, and he hasn't returned yet." Sirius paled before turning a bright red.

"U-um, w-well, a-a-actually, yeah, I-I do," he stuttered nervously. I scanned his face in confusion. What the hell was he blushing so hard for – oh. Oh! A huge grin grew on my face, and Sirius's blush grew darker.

"Sirius, Remus is at Grimmauld Place, isn't he?" I questioned. He nodded. I shook my head, laughing to myself. "I don't care what you two do, just as long as you're happy, and he doesn't get caught." Sirius grinned at me.

"Thanks, kid. Let's go before they leave us behind." We rushed after the others and Side-Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

Outside of the house, I turned to Su and asked, "Can you see number twelve?" When she nodded, I turned to Sirius.

"I got it removed," he responded. "It was a bother, and the Order doesn't even meet here anymore, so what was the point?" I nodded, and we entered the house.

"You got rid of your mother's portrait," I commented as the Weasley boys went to give the girls a tour. Sirius shook his head.

"It's more like we just permanently shut her and my other relatives up," he responded. I smirked. Clever. I would have just blasted the portrait off the wall.

"Is Molly in the kitchen?"

"Yes, she's talking to Hermione and Ginny about their behavior towards you guys. When do we leave for Greece?"

"After tomorrow in the early morning, before Molly awakens." Sirius nodded and guided me into the kitchen where Ginny, Hermione, and Molly sat having a serious discussion. They looked up when we entered. Molly smiled at me while the other two glared. I ignored them and allowed Molly to hug me.

"Oh, Harry, thank you so much for agreeing to come to the funeral," she said as she squeezed the life out of me. "Arthur would have been so happy." I hope I was going to be seeing him again soon if she kept squeezing me like this. Molly finally released me. "I've heard about what you've been going through at school. It must be tough having to relearn magic." I nodded.

"It's alright, though," I told her. "I just hope I never lose control like that again. I could have killed somebody." Molly nodded.

"Now you be careful, alright? Why don't you go and say hi to Fleur and Gaby? They're in the sitting room." I nodded and left the kitchen, feeling Ginny and Hermione's heated glares on my back. I walked past Sirius, gave him a passing glance and smile, and left to the sitting room.

As I walked into the room, I spotted two young, shimmering white blond haired females seated on the couch. One was reading from a book on spells while the other, the older one, was reading from a book on English. It wasn't hard to figure out who was who.

"Fleur! It's been awhile," I said as I walked forward. Glittering blue eyes leapt up to meet mine, glowing with joy. Fleur stood up to hug me.

"Oh, Harry, it has been a long time," she said, her French accent rather thick around her words, though I couldn't help but find it sexy. Fleur didn't have the same affect on me as she did last year. She was just an extremely beautiful girl. Fleur released me and turned to her sister. "You remember my younger sister Gaby, no?" Of course I did. I couldn't simply forget such a pretty face. Gaby looked up at me with the same blue eyes as her sister. Upon locking gazes with me, a flash of emotion went through her eyes, and she stared at me with surprise. She turned to her sister, motioning for her to stoop down.

"What is it, Gaby?" she questioned. Gaby whispered something into her ear. Fleur's eyes widened in what looked to be shock. I found myself wondering what they were talking about.

"Gabrielle, you are too young!" Fleur exclaimed before she stopped and frowned. "Oh, Gaby, you are serious!" She let out an exasperated sigh before turning to look at me. "Oh this is going to be so hard to explain. Um, veela go through the change around the ages of ten and thirteen, during puberty. Gaby is eleven and her body is already preparing for the change. Right before the change occurs and for years after, a veela will feel a sudden draw towards another person, their bonded." She paused, blushing. "Gaby feels that draw to you." I took a step back, surprised. Was she serious? I looked from her to her expectant sister back to Fleur. They were serious!

"Fleur, I don't know," I began. "Her bonded? Really? I've only known her for a few seconds!" Fleur sighed, but nodded.

"I know that this is a surprise to you, but Gaby only knew now as well. It is like…love at first sight. That is the best way I can explain it, Harry." I took a breath and sat down on the floor.

"Okay, what if I didn't agree to bond with Gaby?" I questioned. Fleur looked stricken, as did her sister.

"It would kill her," was the response. I winced. Once more, I had someone else's life in my hands.

"What would happen if I did bond with her?" I questioned. "I'm not even certain I'm strictly monogamous or straight for that matter." No, definitely not straight. Monogamous, definitely not as well. Well, it wasn't definite, but it was getting there if another one of my friends decided to jump me. Not that I would complain, anyway.

Fleur nodded. "Whether you're monogamous or not doesn't matter," she responded. I sighed. There was no way of getting out of this.

"What would happen if I bonded with her?" I questioned again before realizing that that wasn't the right questioned. "No, _how _do I bond with her?"

"It takes about a week for the bond to be completed, Harry. During that entire week, she will have to stay in close to you. Towards the end of the week, the bond will force her into changing a little earlier than she already is. After the change, you'll have to consummate the bond." Heat rushed to my face. I knew what that meant.

I bit my lip. Dear God, this was weird and bad. How was I supposed to keep her around me for an entire week when I had to leave for Greece the day after tomorrow? This just ruined well placed plans. Why did Fleur have to bring her little sister? Not that she wasn't cute and all. Actually, the girl will grow up to be very sexy – and what the hell am I thinking? Fleur was that bad either, though.

"Um, okay, we have a problem," I told them. "I have someplace to be the day after tomorrow. Like, someplace far away. I don't think I can take her with me." Fleur frowned.

"Where are you going?" Gaby questioned. "I'm certain that Fleur will be allow me to go." Fleur glared at her younger sister.

"Non. No. Definitely not. Where ever you go, I go." I groaned, gaining their attention. I'd have to tell them then, if I didn't want Gaby to die.

"Okay, I have a question for you two," I told them as I discreetly put up a silencing ward around the room. "What do you think of Dumbledore?" I got an immediate reaction from both girls as they began to speak rapid French like I understood them. They were positively livid! "Wait! Wait!" They stopped their heated rants. "I can't speak French. English! English!" Both girls blushed in embarrassment.

"Personally, Harry, I believe that Dumbledore is an old fool that thinks that he has everyone feeding out of the palms of his hands," Gaby said, her English way better than her sister's, despite the thick accent. I was much impressed by that and by her knowledge of current politics. "He thinks that he can control everyone. I can see his manipulations. I don't trust him. I haven't even met him yet."

"I agree, mon cheré," Fleur replied. "My father is a politician. He complains of how Dumbledore does nothing to help fight the Death Eaters. He complains about how incompetent the British Wizarding government is." I nodded. I couldn't help but agree with her father on that one. The wizarding government _was _incompetent.

"Okay, I asked you that because I have got a lot to tell you," I told her, and I began to tell them my story about who I really was, what I was currently doing, and the group I was forming. I watched their reactions turn from surprised to horror to enraged.

"That Umbridge woman is…is…" Fleur was currently at a loss for words.

"Bitch?" I suggested.

"Yes!" I turned to Gaby who was gazing at me through cool blue eyes. Weren't they like her sister's just a few moments before?

"I wish to help," she said. "Mama and Papa want to send me to Beauxbatons like my sister, but I refused. I've heard my sister's stories about how the girls reacted to her after her change. She didn't have any friends at her school because of those foolish girls. I don't want to go through that pain. I think that it is unfair that they hate us just because they don't understand us. I want to fight for magical creatures' rights like Fleur." She turned to her sister. "Right, Fleur?" The older girl nodded.

"Oui, yes," she responded. "We wish to join you, Harry. If you will allow us, of course." I stared back and forth between them. Gaby would be an issue, but having Fleur in the group would give us more power. She was a powerful witch, and having her on our side would be an advantage.

"Of course, of course!" I told them. "Make sure your trunks are still packed because we'll be leaving early the morning after funeral. We can't let Molly know. Also, if Dumbledore decides to pay us a visit, don't look him in the eyes. It will make it easy for him to find out the information he needs about me and the others. Can you do that?" Both girls nodded and I grinned. "Perfect. Be ready."

* * *

"So the veelas are on our side?" Ace questioned as we sat in bed playing chess. I was losing, but I didn't really care.

"Yep, and I've got a bonded," I replied as I ordered a piece to move. I noted how Ace suddenly got a pained expression, like the information was hurting him.

"Does that mean that…we can't, you know…?" he trailed off, looking up at me with immensely sad eyes. I frowned and shook my head.

"Don't worry, Ace. Fleur said that it didn't matter," I told him. Ace calmed down. In that moment, I realized just how much I meant to the other boy. I knew that he wasn't falling in love with me, but the prospect of someone taking me from him gave him the same feeling. I shoved the chessboard aside, surprising him, before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself closer to him. "Don't worry, Ace. Nothing is going to change." I kissed him softly, and he returned it gratefully.

I want to say that we had another sleepless night, but bad luck struck in the form of knock on the door just as we were about to move from just kissing. We were going to dismiss it when the light, airy voice of Gaby penetrated the door.

"Harry? Can I come in?" I sighed before turning to Ace and smiling apologetically. He looked hurt, but I kissed him again, and he calmed down. Releasing him, I opened the door for the young girl who seemed to notice that she interrupted something. Blushing, she said, "I'm sorry, but…my chest started to hurt, so I came in here." I stared at her before remembering what her sister had said to me. My eyes widened.

"The pain is physical?" I questioned. She nodded. Ace raised an eyebrow in question. "If I didn't bond with her, she would die." His jaw dropped. "Yes, it's that serious." Ace shook his head before pulling me into another kiss and hopping onto his own bed. Gaby blushed again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I don't mean to be a bother." I turned to the girl and gathered her into my arms.

"You're not bothering anybody," I told her. "Come on. Let's go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow." Gaby nodded and climbed into bed with me. Snuggling into my open arms, she cuddled into my chest, and for a moment, I found that this just felt so…right. Weird, huh?

* * *

The day of the funeral, Grimmauld Place was somber. Molly fed us breakfast, and the entire affair was rather depressing. After breakfast, everyone returned to his or her rooms to change for the funeral. Gaby sat with us, her back turned in modesty. I helped her into a white dress that her sister had bought her the day before. Both would be in white.

"Takuya, is that your suit?" Ron questioned as he glanced over to the white suit that was hanging from the wardrobe. I nodded as I brushed Gaby's hair, tying it back into a ponytail.

"White signifies acceptance instead of grief for black," I responded as I began to dress. "I accept the fact that Arthur has died, though I will never accept the reason. I can only bless him, and hope that he makes it to the afterlife in peace. I hope he's happy where ever he is." Ron nodded as he got into his black suit. I combed back my hair, trying to tame it. I failed, of course, eventually having to give up. I threw the comb in frustration at Ron, who caught it and combed his own hair.

I stood in the mirror staring at my glamoured self. A sharp pang went through my heart as I realized for the umpteenth time that Arthur had died ignorant of the fact that three of his sons weren't his. I couldn't help but feel guilty for lying to him. I glanced over at Ron to find him staring at his wristband, the item that kept him Ron and not Ace, separating the two from each other. I had a feeling that he was thinking the same thing I was.

Gaby stared at us, watching our every movement. I had no idea what she was thinking, but I was so lost in my own depressing thoughts that I didn't care. Once Ron and I were completely dressed, Gaby sat down on my bed. Her soft, angelic voice snapped me from my thoughts. "Why don't you go as yourself?" Both Ron and I whipped around and stared at the little girl.

"Gaby, if we went as ourselves, then Harry and Ron wouldn't show up," I explained to her, smiling softly. Gaby cocked her head to the side.

"But you are Ron and Harry, so why wouldn't you show up?" she questioned. My smile dropped, and I realized that the girl was either playing with me, or really wanting me to be myself. I sat down on the bed and lifted her up into my lap. Gaby snuggled against me, smiling softly.

"Gaby, everyone else doesn't know that Takuya and Harry are the same people," I explained to her. "Most people have likely never even seen Takuya before. That's why I'm Harry most of the time. I want to keep my true identity a secret." Gaby nodded.

"I get it," she replied, snuggling into my chest. "I get it." I smiled at her before glancing up at Ron who raised an eyebrow. I shrugged.

Later, we descended into the kitchen where we found everyone else, with the exception of Fleur, dressed in black, waiting for us. Ginny glared when Gaby and I walked into the room followed closely by Ron. "You just had to be different, didn't you, Potter?" she snapped. Molly glared at her only daughter. I got this distinct feeling that she was wondering where she had gone wrong with her. Of course, I was wondering the very same.

"That is enough, Ginevra!" Molly snapped, causing her daughter to jump. "Today is your father's funeral, and before we can even leave for it, you're arguing with the boy Arthur thought was his son. I am very disappointed in, Ginevra! What would your father say?"

Ginny frowned and looked away, embarrassed at being called out, even though she deserved it. She cast a glance at me and scowled. "It's his fault he died, anyway," she mumbled. Her mother didn't miss a word. Ginny yelped in pain when a wooden spoon caught her on the back of the head.

"That is enough!" Molly shouted. "Now you listen here! Don't blame Harry for Arthur's death! He had nothing to do with it!" I actually did, no matter how tiny my part was. My birth – or rather – _Harry's _birth, pretty much caused Arthur's death. A pang of guilt pierced my chest, but I pushed it to the side. This wasn't about me. If I needed to feel sorry for anyone, I would feel sorry for the Weasley family.

Ginny didn't retort after her mother whacked her in the head with the spoon. It was probably out of fear that she would do it again. We left the house afterwards. As if the heavens themselves were grieving Arthur, the sky was overcast and drizzling. I shared an umbrella with Fleur and Gaby. Neither minded.

I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't cry at the funeral. I did. I couldn't help but shed a tear. I was surprised by the large amount of people who showed up. Ministry officials came along with professors from Hogwarts. Molly was gracious to have them all come and pay their respects. The ceremony was close casket. His body was too deformed from the snake bite. Beneath the glamour, the smell of decay toyed with my sense of smell. I held back the urge to retch. I stuck to breathing out of my mouth.

I sat with the Weasleys in the front row, Fleur and Gaby seated behind me. From my seat, I spotted Rita Skeeter snapping pictures of me and the others at the funeral, but mostly me. She took several pictures of Fudge as he stood to give his few words. All of the Weasleys gave their eulogies, Ron, Ginny, and Charlie breaking down at the very end of theirs. When Ron sat back down beside me, I instinctually grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed back, though the tears never stopped flowing.

After the funeral, we all went back to the Burrow. Su and Luna clung to Ron and I. Draco floated around us as well. We distanced ourselves from the rest of the reception, dragging the twins, Charlie, and Bill with us. Fleur and Gaby immediately followed. We went into the blue drawing room, making sure the door was locked and a silencing ward was up.

"Bill, Charlie, I brought you guys up here to talk to you about something important and top secret," I said, sitting down. Gaby jumped into my lap, and I held her there. "You guys wanted to actively fight against Voldemort, well, now you can." Bill narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he questioned. Charlie was just as suspicious. Ron gripped my shoulder.

"Harry, I don't think that this is the best time," he whispered into my ear.

"After what just happened, this is the best time," I responded. I turned back to Bill. "I've formed a little group. Okay, make that an organization. It's similar to the Order, but we'll be doing much more than simply gathering information. I plan on taking action in the near future, once we get set up officially, of course."

"And what's this group called?" Charlie questioned, gazing from me to Ron to the twins and back again.

"Dire Wolves," Ron responded. "It's name is inspired by the wolves of the same species to promote a sort of pack mentality."

"Unlike the Death Eaters – and Order members – our main focus is the pack, then it's the missions," I stated. Charlie and Bill nodded.

"Understandable," Charlie replied. "Who's in it?"

"The Patil twins, our twins, Ron, Neville, Luna, Su, Blaise Zabini, Draco, Sirius, Remus, and the Black sisters. Myself, of course." Bill's eyes widened.

"The _Black_ sisters? As in Narcissa, Bellatrix, _and _Andromeda?" I nodded.

"Narcissa hated her husband, so Sirius divorced her from him. She's under Sirius's control now. Bellatrix was under the Imperius curse for several decades of her life –"

"It can be done," both twins stated. I nodded.

"- Which wore off during the summer. She's a seventeen year old trapped in a middle aged body. Harmless unless Lestrange awakes, which has yet to happen."

"But it could happen!" Bill argued. "She a danger!"

"Bella is not a danger," Ron mumbled. "And she never will be again."

"What about Hermione and Ginny?" Charlie questioned. "Why aren't they in your group?"

We snorted, shaking our heads. "They don't want anything to do with us," Ron said coldly. "Not that we want to be associated with them. They're foolish Dumbledore worshippers. They'll just run to him if anything goes wrong." Both older boys looked between us.

"You guys have really changed," Bill said. "I mean, I noticed it, but I didn't acknowledge it."

I nodded. We had changed. Not many people had really noticed until it was so obvious. "So, are you in, or are you out?" The two glanced at each other, thinking. Charlie bit his lip.

"I'm in," he said after a moment's pondering. I grinned. Bill, who looked pressured by our staring, nodded as well.

"I'm in, too," he replied. My grin got bigger before falling.

"There is some other things that you'll need to know," I told him somberly. "This is extremely dangerous information that could destroy us if it gets into the wrong hands." The boys stared at me confused. I sighed and broke into my story. No, _our _story. Just like with the others, Ron and the twins put in their two sickles while Draco picked up where I dropped off once my supply of air ran out. Once we finished, Charlie and Bill were staring at us in disbelief. After we dropped our glamours, they weren't denying it anymore.

Charlie stared at us before confusion switched to awe and then to anger. "So Dad died believing that he had seven kids when he only had four?" he snapped. "How could you do that to him? How could you lie and make him believe that he was really your father?"

"He was my father!" Ace shouted with such conviction that Charlie had to take a step back. "I may not be his son by birth, but I am damn sure that he's just as much my father as he is to the rest of you! He's the only father I've had, and he will keep that title for a very long time. So don't yell at me about lying to him when I didn't even realize that I had been lying to him! I'd rather him die knowing that he had seven kids instead knowing that three of them weren't even his, and he helped raise them! I'd rather him die happy and ignorant than sad and aware!" Ace fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I cried, just like you, at his funeral. I'm going to miss him so much…" Luna was by his side in an instant, rubbing his back as he cried.

"There are no words of comfort in a time such as this," she said softly, "but the least I can do is try to make you feel a little better, right?" Ace chuckled and looked up at her.

"I'd feel a lot better if I could just do something instead sitting around here and moping." I sighed and gently removed Gaby from my lap before standing. Charlie and Bill turned to me.

"Well? Are you still in?" I questioned. "Do you still want to fight beside us despite the 'lies' that we've told? Can you trust us enough to fight with us?" Both looked torn, though Bill looked more depressed than anything else.

"I'm still in," he whispered. Charlie stared at him in disbelief. Bill stared back. "Charlie, I don't care who they are now. I really don't. I just have a gut feeling that if I do this, we will be on the winning side."

"Your 'gut feeling' may get us killed!" Charlie growled.

"Charlie, despite everything that has happened to us, we'd never let you guys get severely hurt," Damien stated. "Both of you are still brothers to us. You always will be." He smiled softly, his sadness layering it slightly. Charlie bit his lips before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine! I'm in," he snapped. "Now what?" I grinned, showing my fangs. Both shivered.

"I mark you," I replied. "It's not painful, like the Death Eater's mark. It's made from my own energy infused within your body. It's a simple enough spell that only a vampire with a large core can pull off."

"Like Takuya, for example," Ace said as he sat on the floor, tears gone. Damen snorted.

"Anyone whose magic can create hurricane force winds like that has a pretty massive core," Damien responded. I glared at them before smiling. I turned back to Charlie and Bill.

"Who wants to go first? It's a simple bite, painless."

"Though it may cause feelings of pleasure, an erection, and a possible orgasm." I kicked Ace in the shin, relishing the yelp that came from him. When I turned back to the other two, Bill looked ready to ask me something.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I have to finish packing my things so that we can leave tomorrow morning, so can we just hurry this along?" He shut his mouth. Since neither volunteered, I picked him first. Looking Bill straight in the eyes, I said, "Just relax. It's painless." I turned my attention to his neck. He stiffened as I pressed my lips against the soft flesh of his neck. My throat burst into flames as I felt the strong throbbing of his jugular vein as his heart pumped blood through him. I opened my lips and extended my fangs, resting them against his skin as I mentally said the incantation. Bill gripped my sides, almost as though he wanted to throw me from him. "Relax, William," I said calmly. He relaxed his grip almost immediately. Once he was relaxed, I bit into his flesh, striking blood immediately. Bill gasped and his grip on my sides became tight again. A little bit of energy left my body, flowing through Bill's core system to implant itself on some part of his body. Marking complete, I removed my fangs from his neck and closed the wound with a simple lick. As I went to pull away, Bill collapsed into my arms, his green eyes hazy and his face a bright red. My only guess was that he'd had an orgasm.

After setting Bill in a chair, I turned my attention to Charlie, who was staring at me in horror. "Do I really have to be…um…marked?" he questioned. I rolled my eyes.

"All Dire Wolves are marked, Charlie," I told him. "It's to help distinguish each other from fakes, though, I can easily tell an imposter from the real deal."

"Then why-"

"Charlie, let's just get this over with. Nice try, though." The older boy bit his lip, a nervous tick from what I could tell. Like with Bill, I told him to relax as I pressed my lips against his neck, feeling for both his jugular and his core vein. Finding both, I pressed my fangs against his skin as I thought of the incantation. I was amused as goose-bumps bloomed along his neck. As I was finishing the incantation, I noted that his scent was changing slightly. It was getting muskier, a soft undertone of something… was that pheromones? I could smell it pouring off him in waves. He was aroused. Obviously not aroused enough to be hard, but he was aroused enough to find this utterly hot. I smirked as I bit into his neck. He gripped my arms as he gasped. I only wish that I'd been able to see his expression. Injecting my energy into his core vein, I removed my fangs and closed the wound. Like Bill, Charlie collapsed into my arms, gripping me tightly. He was panting, exhausted from the experience, not that I could blame him. I'd knocked Damen out, and that had been unintentional.

I set him into a chair next to Bill. Once they were aware enough, I told them, "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Early tomorrow morning. We'll be leaving for my villa in Greece for our first official DW meeting, as well as for winter training. I would advise you both to start packing and be ready to leave in the morning, okay?" Both nodded at me.

"How are we getting there?" Bill questioned.

"Portkeys," Gabe responded. "Narcissa is providing them." Both weary boys nodded, and I felt a sudden burst of pride inside of myself. We'd gotten two more members to the Wolves. Now we just had to start planning our first big mission. There was still a lot of work to be done before then, but I could only hope that we get there soon.


	25. Chapter 25

"Gaby, it's time to get up," I said to the eleven year old as I shook her gently. She looked so heavenly while asleep. Her silver blond hair curled around her like a veil. She was so…ethereal.

The girl half opened one crystal blue eye to look up at me with. She smiled, liked she always did when I woke her up in the morning, before wrapping her arms around my neck. She snuggled her face into my neck, purring softly. "Morning, Takuya," she whispered. I caught Ace's amused look from the other side of the room where he was getting dressed. I ignored him, and hugged the girl.

"Good morning, Gaby," I told her. "It's time to get ready to leave. Go put on some clothes. We'll shower when we get there." Gaby nodded, leapt from my arms and went to the bathroom to change.

As soon as the door closed shut, Ace pressed himself against my back, holding me against him. I shivered as he ran his fingers down my neck and along my arms. "You were always sensitive," he whispered. I laughed slightly through the pleasure haze. I felt him slowly pour out his magical energy along my skin. I shivered as he sent goose-bumps along my arms. We'd found out one day just how sensitive to energy I was. It could get to the point where I was aroused by it, my own personal aphrodisiac.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted our fun as I was forced to answer it. Su Li entered the room followed by the twins, Neville, Luna, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Sirius, and Draco. Draco dropped his trunk on the floor and sat on it.

"Narcissa-" he paused before I nodded for him to continue. "You have a ward up?"

"We always have a ward up," Ace and I responded. "Now what about Narcissa?" I questioned.

"Well, she has a surprise for you, like I told you before. She's also ready for you project or whatever. Oh, and she said that as Christmas presents, she sent the others Portkeys to the villa." I nodded.

"That's great. We can all train together this winter break, then. I might actually be able to get some work done." Ace snorted as he dropped his trunk onto the floor.

Gaby returned a few minutes later and after helping her pack, I pulled out the book we were using as a Portkey. I held it out. "We have two minutes. Grab your trunks and take hold. Sirius, did you leave a note or something?" Sirius nodded as he grabbed the book with his free hand.

"I put it in the kitchen where Molly will be sure to see," he responded. I nodded and watched as everyone took hold of the Portkey. I wrapped my other arm around Gaby's waist, earning a blush from the eleven year old. I smirked, just as the Portkey activated, and we were sent several thousand miles to Athens, Greece.

* * *

"Damn." That was the only way to explain the villa. It was architecturally built like all other homes in Greece, the birthplace of the arch. However, the villa was pretty much a glasshouse. Crystal clear glass let in light all around the three story home. The villa consisted of an empty wine storage in the basement, a main floor, and a second floor. Several authentic paintings from legendary painters hung all around the house, though none of this was what I was amazed at.

My amazement stemmed from the rejuvenated forms of Andromeda Black and Narcissa Black. Narcissa stood before me smiling at my reaction, her smooth, creamy skin tinted red at the obvious compliment. She'd been reborn into the body of a twenty year old. Her long blond hair had a brilliant sheen to it and flowed down her back in silky waves. Her brilliant blue eyes held a new energy of their own. Narcissa was just as young as I was once more.

I walked forward, unable to make out a coherent sentence. Instead I smiled at her, amazed at the transformation. Narcissa giggled and held her arms out for me to take. "Wow," was the only thing I could get out. I looked her over and couldn't help but babble out another "Wow." I turned from her to Draco who was standing just as shocked as I was. "You weren't kidding when you said that she had a surprise for me." I turned back to Narcissa. "Wow!" She laughed, her voice like bells to my ears. "Narcissa, you look…Wow!" I couldn't help at laugh at my attempt. Finally, I found the right word that summed it all up. "Gorgeous." And she was.

Narcissa blushed and smiled at me, dropping her arms to her sides before toying with her nails. "Remember what I told you about my being a potion master, right?" she questioned. I nodded. I remembered that quite well in fact. "Well, from the book we 'borrow' from my ex-husband and from the Black homes, I managed to find a ritual that was label Dark that rejuvenates the body of the subject and, for lack of a better term, turns back time for them. So, for all things considering, I am twenty three again." I grinned, amazed at her findings. I'd never even thought that there was such a ritual.

"Incredible," I whispered. "So, I'm just going to take a guess and say that you're not the only one who benefitted from this finding?" Narcissa shook her head.

"Andromeda and Remus performed the ritual as well," she responded. "Because of Bellatrix's unstable condition, I was afraid that the ritual might do more harm than good." I nodded.

"Did you manage to make the potions?" I questioned. Narcissa nodded.

"Everything you need is in the basement. I do wish you would tell me what you needed the extras for." I smiled.

"Side projects, my dear." I turned from her to the others. "Welcome to Villa Potter. For the next two weeks, this shall be your new home. You shall train here, learn here, and socialize here. The best way to create tight pack is to force them all into the same house for more than a day or so." Sirius snorted. "I've already have a bunch of things planned out for all of us, though Narcissa's finding does add to the list. Sirius, how would you like to be young again?" Sirius snorted.

"I am young, but being _younger _wouldn't be so bad," he responded, smirking. Narcissa smirked.

"Don't worry. I can have the spell circle ready to go within the next half hour," she told him. "It will only take an hour for the ritual to be complete, though you shall be unconscious for a day as your body de-ages." Sirius nodded, looking rather giddy.

"What about the rest of us?" Ace questioned.

"You guys will be getting settled in your rooms. Mind you, you will have to share, so pair up with someone you can tolerate. Takuya, this is the key to the master bedroom. All yours." I arched an eyebrow. "The homeowner should have the bigger room." I snorted and shook my head.

"Whatever you say, Narcissa," I told her. Narcissa smiled and went to prepare the spell circle for the ritual. Sirius followed in suit. I led the others upstairs to their new room. They paired up, like they had been told, leaving several more rooms open for the latecomers. I headed towards the mahogany door at the end of the hall. Using the key, I opened the door, and found myself in a room the size of the Gryffindor common room, if not bigger. A king sized bed stood against the back wall, its headboard and posts made out of cedar and carved with ancient runes. The color scheme of the room was red and gold with touches of black here and there. I ran a hand along the soft comforter and smiled to myself. This room was fit for a Gryffindor.

The door squeaked, and I turned to find Gaby standing in the doorway with her trunk. Smiling, I beckoned her into the large room and watched as her eyes widened in amazement. "Like your new room?" I asked her. She rubbed the comforter before looking up at me and nodding so hard that I thought her head would fly off. I laughed and lifted up onto the bed. Gaby blushed, but allowed me to place her onto the bed.

"Do you regret it?" she questioned. When she received a questioning look in return, she continued, "Do you regret me choosing you to be my bonded?"

"You had a choice?" I questioned. She frowned and shook her head.

"No, never. I meant, did you regret meeting me?" I shook my head at this and placed my lips softly on her forehead. She gasped, and I felt the heat rush to her face.

"I never regretted it," I told her as brushed back a stray strand of hair. "It was an inconvenience that was easily fixed, but I don't regret it. At least it happened during winter break and during some other time of the year. We would have really had a problem on our hands." Gaby nodded, gazing into my eyes. I smiled softly at her in return. The tension in the room got slightly thicker. Gaby's face became a soft red as she leaned closer to me. My heart began to pound in my chest. I knew what she wanted. It was so obvious. I could smell it in her scent. I closed the gap, and pressed my lips against hers.

**"Pedophile," **a familiar voice rang through my head as I pulled away from the blushing child. She gazed t me embarrassed, but I only smiled and kissed her again.

"Come on," I whispered. "I need to do something in the basement." Gaby, blushing, nodded, and followed me out of the room.

_Shut up, Gideon._

Silence filled my mind, though I caught the distinct feeling of surprise, then loathing. **"Wrong. I'm Fabian."**

_If you were Fabian, you wouldn't have been surprised when I guessed you name._

Silence again was my response, though that was only from him. I could hear Godric and Salazar's laughter towards my response.

**"Good for you, boy,"** Godric laughed. **"I hope you're going to start what I think you're going to start."**

_You know I am. Just relax. Give me a few days, and I'll have your bodies fully made._

Receiving no response, I continued down to the basement where I found exactly what I needed. Spread out before me were twelve premade humanoid statues that stood against iron stands. Each were made of the specific doll formula, which took some time to create in order for it to reach such a solid texture. I walked up to a doll and tapped it, wincing at the solidity of it. It was smooth, cold, and hard. Could I really carve into this?

"Takuya," Gaby whispered behind me as I examined my subjects, "what are these?"

"They are premade dolls," I responded. "One of these is going to work as a new body for Bellatrix. The other eleven are for something much bigger." Gaby walked towards one of the dolls and placed her hands to its stomach.

"It's... it's alive," she whispered, looking at me for assurance. "What is this?"

"A mix of several very expensive ingredients," I said as I walked from the dolls to the table. On it sat a dusty mahogany box. Opening it, I found different sculpting tools. Beside the box was several rows of paint, several different sized paintbrushes, and a smock to put on. I fingered the smock for a moment before removing my book from my pocket. I turned to Gaby. "I'm planning on being down here for a really long time," I told her. "Are you sure you want to stay down here the entire time?" Gaby cocked her head to the side and smiled.

"I'll be fine," she responded. "I'm very capable of withstanding short periods of time without your presence. If I get bored, I'll just go bother my sister." I smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Good." I moved the desk over to one of the dolls and pulled up to chairs. Pulling on the smock, I unlocked my book and turned to the correct page. Gaby gasped when she saw my sketch.

"Wow," she whispered. "You're really good." I smiled to myself as I picked up a carving knife and examined it.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure about how great a sculptor I am, though," I told her. Taking a deep breath, I began to carve off pieces of the stone, which I collected into a bucket to use later. Gaby sat beside me, watching me as I carved. Just like when I was sketching, I let my hands take over. Some unknown talent had appeared within me the moment I became Takuya. Drawing and sketching were something I had just learned to enjoy. Now, I could at sculpting to the list. I was beginning to enjoy creating a work of art, though I was much happier that this said work of art was going to be put to good use.

**"Takuya, make sure you're careful when sculpting," **Salazar whispered in my mind, trying his hardest not to either jinx me or interrupt me. **"I'm not telling you to think about what you're doing, but just be careful. Everyone needs their fingers." **I mentally snorted before blocking him off and continuing.

Sometime later, possibly several hours later, the basement door opened and someone descended the stairs. I was only just aware of this, for Gaby jerked herself awake and turned from me to the door. "Hello, Ms. Narcissa," Gaby said behind me.

"Good morning, Gabrielle," Narcissa said as she came to stood beside me. I was vaguely aware of her presence. I was completely enraptured by what I was doing, what I was creating. I'd gotten the waist the right size and was working on smoothing out the hips. I'd started carving the bikini line and lower. I had chopped off a lot of stone, trying to make sure the air was perfect. I was aiming for a girl, not a boy. Bellatrix was the main focus. I was creating a body for her first, then Salazar so that he could perform the mind transfer.

**"Takuya, I truly believe that you are capable of doing the transfer yourself,"** Salazar whispered.

_I don't want Lestrange mixed in with Bella. I want Lestrange's knowledge, but Bella's personality._

**"Why don't you just allow Salazar possession of your body, then?" ** Godric questioned. **"Give him a few minutes to control your body, just long enough to extract what is necessary and important from Bellatrix's mind, then you create a new soul from the memories."**

_Why are you just mentioning this?_

**"Because I thought one of you would have thought of it by now."**

I neglected to respond deliberately as I began to sculpt her…um… feminine part. I brought forth all the memories I had of that area. I hadn't been looking at them for my own perversion, but for research and to cure myself of the embarrassment I had towards so much as thinking of it.

Narcissa watched as I continued to sculpt, noticing my hand work, my delicate movements. I didn't want to make a mistake. Bella would kill me. That was the last thing I needed. So I continued to sculpt, working for the body I could see Bella being proud of. I could only hope that she would be proud of this one. Especially after all of the work I put on it.

"Takuya, I came down here to tell you that lunch was ready," Narcissa said suddenly, "but I see that you won't be needing it." I snorted, but didn't stop sculpting. That was a definite understatement. Narcissa, a fellow workaholic, realized this. "Come on, Gaby. I know you have to stay within a certain distance of Takuya, but I'm certain you can manage lunch." Gaby turned to me for permission. I paused in my work to smile at her.

"Go on, Gaby. Go get something to eat. I know that you must be starving." Gaby nodded and headed upstairs before Narcissa.

"Oh, and Takuya, I'll make sure to bring you some coffee when it gets late," Narcissa called to me. I smirked. She really did know me well.

* * *

I was still sculpting away, hours into the night. Narcissa had been nice enough to bring a clock downstairs so that I would know what time it was. Gaby had long since fallen asleep on a table that had been transfigured into a bed. She had refused to go upstairs without me, for multiple reasons other than needing to be around me to avoid pain. Rowena and Helga had wanted me to return upstairs so that the girl could get an actual night's rest, but I couldn't stop sculpting. I had finished her lower body and was working on the top part of Bella's doll body.

I was finishing the chest when the weirdest thing happened. I had just finished perfecting both breast – someone was going to hurt me if they were identical – when my entire world just went black. I was floating in darkness, the only thing I could sense was the feeling of my magical energy. Suddenly, light burst from the darkness, but it wasn't the lights from the basement. I spun around to find myself floating above five colored spheres connected to several hundred thousand webs of similar colors. The largest one was in the very center, connected to the other four by thick, solid lines of light blue, the same color as the large sphere. The sphere shifted and turned, almost as if it were alive, or at least, what was in it was alive.

I stared at it before following another line to a deep pink sphere which shifted and turned like the blue one. Near that one was a neon purple sphere, and next to that one was a blood red sphere. Underneath those was a sphere the color of the moon. I finally recognized what they were.

"My cores," I whispered as I gazed at their beauty. Yes, that was right. All five were my cores, my main core in the middle. Umbridge's magic that I morphed into my own was above the main core. My neon purple core was to the right the main core. My blood red magic was to the left of the main, and the moon colored magic was beneath the main, creating a diamond shape around my main magic.

I stared at the thinner veins that travelled from my cores outward, going through my body. This was my core system. Every wizard or witch had a core system. It was an addition to our bodies, a natural circulatory system just like the nervous system, the respiratory system, and the cardiovascular system. Core veins extended from core(s) outward like our veins extended from our hearts to pump blood through our limbs. Having a complex knowledge of the core system was what gave me the ability to make my magic visible or encase my hand. It also gave me the ability to create my style of fighting.

I stared at my cores, watching as the pulsed, pumping magic through my veins to be called upon when needed. When I reached out to touch my main core, all of them suddenly pulsed strongly before sending out several powerful waves of magic. I gasped as the magic rolled over my body, flowing into my pores and stimulating my nerves. I shivered, wondering what was happening to me. Was I losing control again? My thoughts went to Gaby, who was completely unprotected from my magic. I looked around, past the magic, wondering how to leave my own body.

Trapped inside of myself, I watched my magic rush out of my body, felt it leaving my body, but I had no idea what it was doing or where it was going. I was panicking now. What if I hurt Gaby? I couldn't hurt her! I couldn't allow myself to hurt, intentionally or otherwise. I needed to get out. I needed to get out now!

The flow of magic suddenly stopped. I stared in confusion at my cores. What was going on? Abruptly, the magic that had been sent out _reversed_ and began to flow back into my body. As it did, I felt fragments of unknown substance stuck to sections of magic. I could make out the taste of blood, which sent me into a panic again. I calmed down when I realized that the blood was my own. Why was I tasting my blood on my magic?

Before I could receive an answer, my cores disappeared, including the veins that extended from them. My world went black again. After a moment, there was light again, only dimmer than before. I blinked and looked around. I was in the basement again. I glanced over at the clock to find that it had only been ten minutes since I'd first slipped into my body. I turned back to my work in progress and dropped the carving knife that was still in my hand. It clinked to the floor. My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. What the hell?

Resting before me was a masterpiece. The sculpture I had been working on was completely finished. I touched the stone doll just to make sure it was real. I ran my hands along the smooth ridges of the stomach, along the well sculpted muscles along the arms. I traced her face with my fingers, running them along the edges of her closed eyes. She was perfect.

I dropped my hands to my side, shaking my head in amazement. Was this what my magic was doing? This would explain why I tasted traces of my blood on my magic. This was incredible. If I'd known that I could carve the dolls with my magic, I would had done so from the beginning.

I leaned forward to pick up my knife, and as I went to put it away, I noticed my other dolls, and nearly cut myself on the knife. All of the dolls were completed, sculpted just as I had wanted them. In a daze, I put away the knife, picked up, Gaby as gently as possible, and blew out the candle. I needed sleep as soon as possible. I couldn't believe what was going on.

They weren't joking when they said that magic could do anything.


	26. Chapter 26

"Your magic did what?" Daphne questioned over breakfast the next morning. She, her sister, the Patil twins, and Blaise had all managed to come via Portkey. Of course their parents didn't know they were here, which would most likely get them in trouble when they returned home.

I nodded as I chewed on a slice of toast. I was a little queasy after the experience last night, so much so that I'd awakened with morning sickness. The Prewett twins had gotten a real kick out of that before Godric and Salazar had told them to shut up before allowing Rowena to explain what had happened.

**"To put it simply," **she had said, **"your magic was following an unconscious wish you had. Because your magic is so powerful, potent, and limitless, it pretty much has a mind of its own, which can be good and bad. At this point, I would have to say that your magic probably heard some unconscious wish you had about wanting to finish the dolls as soon as possible. You probably don't even know whether or not you made the wish. That, or your magic felt that you were taking too long and wanted to help. Either is a reasonable explanation. You should just be happy that now you won't have to work so hard and so long."**

I was happy, very much so, in fact. I was relieved. Sculpting was the longest part and also the most time consuming. Now I just needed to start work on the artificial souls, and then I would be done. I was thankful for this, but also very nervous. I'd have the four Founders on my side. How great was that? Though, what could I possibly teach them that they didn't already know?

"So what now, Takuya?" Ace questioned, bringing me back to the conversation at hand. I swallowed the little food in my mouth before dropping the toast on my plate.

"I need to start making the artificial souls, but before then, I need to extract Bella from her body while leaving Lestrange inside," I told him. "I will also need to remove Lestrange's knowledge from her mind while leaving her personality. In other words, I have a lot of complicated shit to pull off. I'm actually thinking about saving that for last, but I know that Bella barely has any time left, so I'm going to have to transfer her first."

"Why do you need twelve dolls, though?" Narcissa questioned as she poured herself some coffee and got me a bottle of water. I arched an eyebrow in question, but accepted the water, hoping to calm my stomach.

"It's a surprise," I responded, smirking. "Don't worry. Give me a few days, and you'll find out." Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"What are you planning on training us in?" Blaise questioned. "Is this going to be our headquarters?"

"Um, no, we can't have a permanent place," Andromeda answered for me. She too had de-aged, and was now a stunning twenty-three like her sister. She had her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep out of her face as she ate. "There are several locations available to us around the world. Each of them is basically a DW headquarters. All have been placed under Fidelius with Narcissa, Bella, and I as secret keepers."

I nodded when Damien looked over at me. "Takuya, I've been looking into Muggle technology lately, and Muggles have some really interest tools." I nodded smirking. I think I knew where this was going.

"I'm certain that I can get something installed here during the year," I told him. "I'll even teach you how to use most of the stuff. Muggle tech is genius!" I grinned before sighing, leaning back in my chair. "I'm so tired."

"Coffee?" Narcissa offered.

"No thanks. I need to work with Bella so that we can start the extraction process, and hopefully kill her body before Lestrange can take control. So much to do, so little time. So little caution." I sighed. "It seems like my entire life revolves around danger. I've barely had a safe period in my life. Oh well. I got used to that real quick."

Ace snorted. "I think everyone is pretty used to you being in some sort of dangerous situation. Almost got me killed twice."

"Three times, actually. I'm a magnet for trouble."

"No, I think trouble just attracts you," Andromeda responded, smiling. I grinned and sat up.

"Okay, so for the rest of Christmas break, we're going to be working on hand-to-hand combat," I told Blaise to answer his question from before. "We're going to also work on our magic reserves and trying wandless spells. If any of you get these right, I think I'll teach you some Greek spells I learned." I leaned back again and sighed, closing my eyes I tried to relax myself and my upset stomach. What was wrong with me today?

Groaning, I stood and stretched. Yawning, I said, "I have to start working on the souls now. Got too much to do to just sit around all day. See ya'll." I got a less than enthusiastic reply as I left the room, heading towards my room. As I went, I listened to what Salazar was telling me, prepping me for the soul swap, as Godric so kindly put it. He would be taking over my body as the main soul while I played secondary until he extracted the important parts of Bella's mind.

After I made it to my room, I grabbed all of the necessary items that would be needed for the extraction before heading towards Bella's room. At the door, I paused, wondering what I was going to see. Was I going to see a decaying body? Was she going to bedridden? Delicate looking? Or was she going to look like death? I opened the door and saw my answer in the form of a pacing Bellatrix Black. She looked up at me and smiled. I sighed in relief before hugging.

"I was working myself into a panic," I told her. "I expected much worse than you walking about. Are those wrinkles?" Bella pouted before nodding. She did have several wrinkles about her face, making her appear older and more worn than she really was.

"This… disease is aging me faster than normal," she responded. "The potion you had Narcissa make slowed down the process. My body is still deteriorating, but just at a much slower pace."

"By how they said it, I thought much worse than simple aging."

"If only it were that simple. Without the potion, I'm certain that my organs would have liquefied by now, my muscles gone, my bones dust, and my skin rotten."

"Thank you for that lovely picture." Bella smiled weakly.

"Thank you for giving me more time," she responded. I held up the items in my hands. The items were actually just a simple bulbous potion vial, paintbrush, and paint can.

"Yes, well, with these, I'm going to give you even more time," I told her. Her eyes widened.

"You finished the doll?" she questioned. I nodded.

"It looks exactly as you did when you were seventeen," I told her. "Now, it is just sitting there waiting for your soul." Bella looked beside herself with gratitude and amazement.

"How?" was the first thing she managed to get out. "How did you manage to finish it within a night?"

"My magic has a mind of its own," I responded, "but we have other matters to deal with. I personally have no idea what I'm doing, but there is someone who does."

"Who?" I debated telling her the entire story, but simply told her the watered down version.

"Long story short, the Founders decided to make me their temporary body until I made them their own," I told her. "Salazar has offered to take over and do the extraction through my body." Bella stared at me.

"Salazar…Slytherin?" she questioned. I nodded. She stared at me, looking highly against this. "I don't know. Can you trust him with your body?"

"Unless he's been lying to me for the past three months, I think I can trust him," I told her. "Do you trust me?" Bella nodded. "Okay then. Let's start." She nodded again, though I was really telling myself that. I couldn't deny how nervous and scared I was.

**"Relax, Takuya. I promise to give you your body back as soon as the extraction is over." **I mentally sighed as Salazar tried to calm me down. I sat down on Bella's bed, trying to calm myself. Clearing my mind, I felt myself sinking, falling from reality. In an instant, I was in my mindscape. Opening my mind's eye, I noted the change in the appearance.

"Why are we in a forest?" I questioned as I touched a leaf from a bush beside me. Salazar smiled at me before shrugging.

"This is your mind, child," he told me. "Only you know why it looks like this."

"Well that really helped." Salazar just smiled at me. "So, how do we switch?"

"Just like this." Suddenly, he was gone. I stared at the spot where he had been. Okay, that was definitely weird. You would think that I would be used to stuff like this, but I guess not.

"Okay, so now you're in control?" I called to no one in particular. I heard his deep chuckling around me. I spun, trying to find him.

"Yes, I am in control, Takuya," Salazar said from everywhere. Was this how I sounded when I was talking to them?

"Disorienting, isn't it?" I stopped spinning to come face to face with Fabian. I had no idea how or why, but I was able to tell the twins apart with great ease, whether I could see them or was just hearing their mental voice. It was the flavor of their thoughts, subtle differences in their appearance, or the underlying tones in their scents. I could just tell them apart. I could tell the Prewett twins apart, I could tell the Patil twins apart, and I could tell the Sakurazaki twins apart. I was second nature to me.

"Yeah, it is, actually," I responded. "Where's Gideon?" Fabian frowned, narrowing his eyes.

"I am Gideon," he said, trying to trick me. I smiled.

"Fabian, I don't know how, nor do I know why, but if there's one gift that I love having, it's the one that helps me tell twins apart," I told him. "I can tell Padma from Parvati, Damen from Damien, and you from Gideon. Now, seriously, where is Gideon? Where is everyone else?" Fabian seemed annoyed by my response.

"How in the hell am I supposed to know?" he snapped. "It's your mind. Why don't you find out?" I was getting so tired of everyone telling me that, but I was mostly tired of his attitude.

"What is your problem?" I snapped him. "What's stuck up your ass? Since I first met you, you hated me! You act like you don't want anything to do with me. If that's the case, then why are you still here? Why not go back to purgatory and spend the rest of eternity there since you hate my mind so much? Since you hate _me _so much? Is it because I hate Dumbledore, huh? Is it because I'm a vampire? Is it because I'm a damn werewolf? What is it?"

Fabian stared at me after my little rant, somewhat surprised by it. He looked amazed for a moment before glared at me with as much ferocity as he could possibly manage. "You want to know why I can't stand you, Takahashi? Here's why. You think you're so much better than everyone else! You think that you deserve everything! You take advantage of people and ruin others lives just to get what you want!" I stared at him. What the fuck?  
"Excuse me?" I questioned. "What the hell are you talking about? Ruin other peoples' lives? When have I done that?"

"Oh, so you just conveniently forget Dumbledore?" So this _was _about Dumbledore!

I glared at the older man. "Dumbledore pretty much killed my parents, whether intentionally or unintentionally. He placed me into a family that abused me, knowing full well what they would do to me! He did that against my parents' will, by the way. Then the man manipulates me into becoming Gryffindor so that he can control me and –"

"Shut up!" Fabian shouted. "Not everything is about you! Dumbledore did a lot to help people!"

"Like what? He was too afraid to so much as admit that these Death Eaters need to suffer the full extent of the law! He was too trusting! He believed foolhardily that everyone deserved a second chance. Well, guess what? Not everyone did! He didn't kill Grindelwald because he believed that he deserved a second chance. He didn't kill Voldemort because he thought that he deserved a second chance! Well, now Voldemort is back, and Dumbledore isn't doing shit about it, but simply gathering information to give to me so that _I _can do all of his dirty work! Dumbledore subtly manipulates people using Legilimency and by using subtly compulsions. That's how he got me for the first few years of my schooling. Now, I've changed. I see what he's doing, and I'm going to take him out along with Voldemort and the Ministry." Fabian glared at me, but it wavered before he was forced to drop his gaze. He sank to the ground, leaning against a tree. I dropped down with him.

"I used to hate you," he whispered. I stared at him, utterly confused. Huh? "I used to hate that you were so against Dumbledore. I used to hate that you were such a Slytherin. I was angry at the Founders for dragging me and my brother into your body. Why did they choose you? What was so special about a mutated freak?" I glared at him. That hurt. "But as I listened to your thoughts, I stopped hating. No, that's not it. I still hated you, but not because of who you are or what you are. I hated you because you were doing things I'd never even thought of. Maybe it's because we live in two different time periods. I don't know. I do know that I hated how organized you were, how prepared you were. You knew what you wanted to do. You wanted to help people, whether or not you methods were legal. You had the money to back it. You had the charisma to get people to follow, the natural ability to lead. You have the ability to do what the man I looked up to couldn't. I hate you for it. Gideon does, too, just not as much as I do." I snorted, shaking my head. There was a reason for everything.

"I wouldn't call what I have natural leadership," I told him, staring up into the sky of my mind. I watched as Jupiter slowly rolled into view. "I just know what I want and people follow me, ya know. I don't know. People have always followed me. I've just learned to live with it, and try to lead them the best I could. My ideals are fresh to me, but some may have thought of them a long time ago. I'm probably the only one willing to take action."

"What are you going to do once you have everyone trained and ready to go?" Fabian questioned. He looked up into the sky and stared in wonder. "Is that Jupiter?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's Jupiter. Once everyone is trained, I think that our main purpose will be disposing of those who corrupt our society." Fabian turned to me.

"Are you talking about killing?" he questioned. "As in, going after innocent men and women and just killing them?"

"None of our targets will be innocent, Fabian. Not in my eyes, anyway. We'll be going after suspected and known Death Eaters as well as corrupted politicians. We'll also place someone into the Ministry to watch things, to change things. It's going to take awhile, and I'm certain that I'm not up for the responsibility, but it shall be done."

Fabian turned from me and looked up at the sky again. He raised his hand and pointed. "Saturn." I nodded as I watched the ringed planet slowly orbit through the sky. "How are you doing this?"

"I don't know," I responded. "I just relaxed, and my mind began to wander."

"Amazing." We sat there in silence and just watched the planets flow through the sky. Fabian broke the silence. "I thought you weren't going to go at this politically?"

I was quiet as I watched Neptune. "I wasn't, but I changed my mind."

"What if you can't change this world? What if you can't change Wizarding Britain? What then?" I was silent again. That was a good question. What then? What if I spent all of that time, that planning, that training for nothing? What then?

"I guess… I guess we'll just leave," I told him. "Move on. We'll change our purpose, maybe. I know that I certainly can't go through life working at a desk. I think… I think becoming an assassin is… well, it's not one of the best jobs, but it's one of the more interesting. The thrill that each time you go on a mission, there is a chance that you'll get caught." Just the thought was making my heart race. "Yes, that's a pretty good idea. The DW becomes a hit-wizard squad, but why narrow our horizon to just wizards? There are thousands of supernatural creatures all around the world."

"I don't know if I want to get into the killing business," Fabian responded. "But you're right. The adrenaline rush would be fun. I think I could do."

"I'm pretty sure you could." We sat in silence again, staring up into the sky, sometime pointing out a planet as it rolled by.

"Do you think," Fabian began, "that you guys could keep this up for a long time?"

"Keep what up? The DW?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're going to get old, which means that you're going to get out of shape. You might need to find all new members, or just stop." I was quiet before bursting into laughter. Fabian stared at me, confused. "What?"

"I'm sorry, but that was funny," I told him. I wiped away a few tears and looked up at the sky again. "I'm a vampire werewolf. I'm never going to get… old! Ace is a fallen angel. When he gains his wings, he's going to be eternal, too, just like Gabe. Gelly is a fallen star. He has _trillions_ of years ahead of him. The twins are youko – spirit foxes. I'm not sure if a spirit fox can die or not."

"But what about the others? Su Li, Daphne, and the rest?"

"They'll live as long as I do. When I injected them with my energy, lengthened their lifespan, making them… slightly inhuman. Not to a serious extent, like they'll start drinking blood or crave raw food or anything like that, but enough to adjust their bodies, too rid them of the human handicaps they would normally have. They probably don't even notice that they've changed."

"Are you ever going to tell them?"

"Sooner or later. When it's necessary."

Fabian gazed up into the sky. "This is going to sound strange, but I'm going to actually miss your mind. You have no idea how weird this place can get sometimes. Especially when you're asleep. Random images flow in and out. Sometimes, entire scenes will play out. When you're happy, your mind will become a paradise akin to a beach of something. When you're sad or depressed, it's like living in a eternal rainstorm. When you're angry, a volcano will erupt someone. Sometimes, when you're happy, it begins to snow. It's so weird. First a beach, then the plains, now a forest. Your mindscape is forever changing."

I sighed, smiling. "Just like me." I closed my eyes. "Salazar, are you done yet?" I was met with silence, but that didn't last long.

"My God I've never seen so many Dark spells in my life!" Salazar exclaimed. "This woman was taught by a rather insane man!"

"That's Voldemort for you," Fabian and I responded. We glanced at each other before smiling.

"Well, he certainly is insane. The extraction is almost complete. Just give me a little more time."

"Whatever you want, Salazar." Fabian groaned, causing me to look over at him. He had his hand out, watching a little piece of white float down into it.

"You're happy," he said. "It's snowing." I looked up into the sky. He was right. Clouds were beginning to cover the planets as they dance to steps I'd choreographed for them. Little bits of snow began to fall silently to the ground. I blinked as one landed on my nose. I smiled to myself. I always did like the snow. Glancing over at Fabian, I saw that he didn't exactly have the same idea.

"Why snow?" he questioned, glaring at the white fluff as it fell from the sky. "Why snow? Why couldn't it get warm and sunny with a beach or something? I hate the snow."

"Are you mad?" I exclaimed. "How can you hate something so pure?"

"It's only pure until it hits the ground." I glared at him, and he glared back. I turned from him and went back to watching the snow fall. "I love the snow." I watched the snow fall and collect on the ground, layering the earth with a blanket of white. Fabian scoffed, once more gaining my attention. This time, he was hugging himself while brushing off the snow that was starting to layer his body.

"Snow is cold and wet," he complained, hugging his knees to his chest. I rolled my eyes. Could he be more of a drama queen? "I heard that." Good. He glared at me. I smiled, and feeling pity for him, pulled on a leaf, stretching it until it was large enough for me to wrap around him. Fabian took the leaf/blanket gratefully. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." We both lapsed into silence, watching the pure white snow fall to the ground. I couldn't help but feel content as I watched it snow. Such a purity inside of me. I couldn't help but feel astounded by the fact. How was I pure after everything I'd been through? How was I pure after all the death I'd caused? I was confused by this and would have continued wondering if it weren't for a voice breaking the silence.

"Why do you have to be pure?" Fabian questioned. I turned my head in his direction. He didn't look at me. He held a hand out, and a white snowflake floated down into it. He watched it dissolve from his body heat. He then turned to me. I saw the rush of emotion flow across his warm brown eyes. "Why do you have to be pure? What's so great about being pure? No one is truly pure, anyway. Purity is defined by too many things, by too many factors. The definition of purity is different for everyone." He turned from me to stare at the snow. "If you really asked me, you are pure." My eyebrow flew into my hairline. "If you asked someone else, you probably wouldn't be pure, but what does it matter? Why are you so afraid to embrace the darkness that is you?"

I stared at Fabian, confused. "What are you talking about?" I questioned. Fabian turned to me again.

"You've been avoiding what really makes you who you are," he replied. "I realized it some time ago. You always think about being pure, how you're not pure, how you wish you weren't dirty. It finally clicked in my head what you were doing, whether you realized it or not. You were rejecting the darkness inside of you."

"What darkness? I'm not evil!" What was he talking about? I wasn't dark. There was no darkness inside of me. I was good, right? I wasn't evil. I was… well, I wasn't exactly light, but I wasn't dark. I was grey. But that meant that I was in the middle. I'd always known that, but I never put it to myself specifically. I only associated the term with the side I was fighting on.

"Takuya, being dark doesn't mean that you're evil," Fabian responded. "For example, Dumbledore is on the side of light, and he's not good. Good and evil are just automatic terms for light and dark because they are supposed to be polar opposites, but that isn't the case all of the time. Vampire and werewolves are supposedly dark creatures, yet you're trying to help everyone."

"But why would I be trying to reject the dark park of me, then?" I questioned. Fabian sighed.

"Takuya, don't you remember what your mother told you?" he questioned. "When you dream, your memories are open to us. I was exploring the more unexplored reaches of your mind when I came across the memory of you reading the letter your mother sent you. Takuya, you're rejecting the shadow elemental part of you."

Shadow elemental? That term seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't completely remember it. Fabian could see that I was having trouble finding that memory. His eyes narrowed before they widened in what I could only guess to be surprise or amazement. It was something along the lines of those two.

"You've completely blocked the memory away!" he exclaimed. "Takuya, do you remember anything from before you became Takuya?" I stared at him before staring past him as I coursed through my memory. I just vaguely recalled what happened between me and Damen while he was still George. As I went back into my memory, I found myself questioning why he was in my room with his brothers that day. Really, why had he and his brothers been the room that day?

I could feel Fabian's eyes on me as I tried to remember what had happened. I abruptly found myself staring forward at a concerned Fabian. I couldn't help but find myself utterly confused. "Um, Fabian, what was I just doing?" I questioned him. Fabian's eyes widened.

"Oh sweet Merlin!" was all he could get out. "Rowena and Salazar will need to take a good long look at your mind when you give them new bodies." I stared at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Takuya, I asked you to try to remember the night you read your mother's letter to you. You sat there for a good five minutes before your eyes widened. I think you must have remembered. The memory must have been terrible because after a moment, your face just went blank, and you were looking at me, completely confused. Takuya, you repressed the memory of remembering the repressed memory." Okay, that was even more confusing that before, but I at least understood what he meant.

"So, I remembered, but repressed it again?" He nodded. "God, it must have been a terrible memory, then." Fabian nodded.

"You must not be emotionally ready for it," he responded. "But still, you're a shadow elemental." I nodded, recognizing the term from somewhere. Most likely from the memory. "Being a shadow elemental means that you control the darkness. Haven't you ever felt yourself being drawn to the dark?" I nodded again. "You're thoughts on wanting to be pure is your way of rejecting the shadow elemental part of yourself. You won't be able to function correctly until you accept all of yourself. Salazar told me that it will take meditation to do something like, but it can be done. That's why you don't have your full vampiric strength. That's why you can't tap into you shadow elemental abilities. That's why you have yet to gain your wolf form." I stared at him before sighing.

"I guess so," I responded, watching the snow. "I guess I could do that after I get you guys into your new bodies. Is it really necessary?" Fabian glared at me, and I flinched at the harshness of it.

"Of course it's necessary if you don't want to be the death of yourself!" he snapped. "What are you afraid of? That no one will accept the real you?" He got it right the first time. "If that's what you're afraid of, then you're an idiot!" I winced again. Did he have to be so harsh? "What happened to the Takuya who yelled at me, and threatened to turn both my brother and I into slaves? What happened to him?" Fabian took several deep breaths and relaxed. "Your personality is so off kilter, it's ridiculous. This is what happens when you don't accept yourself. If you want people to accept you, you have to accept yourself. Maybe you'll get a solid personality then." I glared at him, even though I knew he was right. My likes and dislikes, as well as my normal habits, were constantly changing.

"It's for your own health, Takuya," Fabian said, standing up. He brushed layers of snow from his body. I stood, too, before realizing how uncomfortable that position had been. My body was stiff and tight from sitting in the same position for so long. I stretched, brushing off layers of snow that had piled up on my unmoving body. Now that I thought about it, it was rather chilly here in my mind.

"I have to accept myself before others accept me," I mumbled to myself, catching Fabian's attention. "I'm rejecting myself." I hugged myself, trying to keep in body heat, or at least, that's I told myself. "I'm rejecting myself." I shook my head. To think that I was so afraid of rejection, yet, I was rejecting myself. Life was so ironic.

"Think Salazar is finished?" Fabian questioned out of the blue.

"I hope so." I looked up to the cloudy sky where the snow was falling. Several flakes fell onto my face, melting from the heat. "Sal, are you finished?" Fabian and I waited in silence for an answer. It was a moment before we received one.

"I'm finished," Salazar's voice erupted from all around us. I jumped several feet into the air, surprised. Chuckling caught my attention. I turned around to glare at Fabian, shutting him right up. I have no idea why my glares are so scary, but he turned white when I glared him. I didn't care. It served its purpose, and that was to shut him up.

"Okay, Sal," I called back to Sal, slowly turning from Fabian. I closed my eyes. I felt myself rising. With a hard jerk, I had control over my body again. I winced in pain as I opened my eyes to find myself in my basement workshop. Glancing around, I realized I was grasping something and looked down. In my hand was a large, bulbous bottle. Inside the glass was smoke that flickered between different shades of dark blue, being darker blue in the center. With a jolt, I realized that this was Bella's soul.

_Sal, what do I do now? _I thought as I stared in amazement at the bottle in my hand. Her soul spun around in the glass bottle energetically, almost as though it were trying to get out, which it most likely was. I never realized that this was how our souls looked. Sweet Merlin, you really do learn something new every day.

**"Inhale her soul and breathe it into the mouth of her doll. She will do the rest." **I nodded. I took a deep breath in an attempt to relax myself. I couldn't afford to make a mistake. I could afford to lose Bella.

I clutched my chest as a sharp pain went through my heart. What was that? I sat there for a moment, wondering for a moment, surprised by how sudden the pain had come. Now gone, I tossed the event into the back of my mind for later evaluation. I shakily removed the cork from the bottle. Before her soul could escape, I inhaled it through my mouth. Emptying the bottle, I held my breath and moved to the doll that I had created for Bella. Grasping its head, I nervously pressed my lips to its and exhaled.

In my mind, I could only hope that I did this right. I could only hope and pray that Salazar did everything correctly. I could only hope. Hope I did.

* * *

I've done it! I'm actually finished! W00t W00t! I'm so proud of myself. I've finished my first chapter story. *cries slightly* I'm so happy. I'm working on my next book **Submerged. **The first chapter should be up by...next month. I'm only saying that because I want to get several chapters ahead before I publish the first one. Thanks for reading and please do review.


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